Internal investigations
Workplace health and safety officers (WHSO)
Workplace health and safety representatives (WHSR)
Workplace health and safety committees
Employers are encouraged to perform their own investigations into incidents. Internal mechanisms for doing this include workplace health and safety officers, workplace health and safety representatives and workplace health and safety committees.
Workplace health and safety officers (WHSO)
Any workplace with 30 or more employees is required by law to have a workplace health and safety officer (WHSO).
Workplace health and safety officers are appointed by employers and principal contractors to:
- advise the employer on health and safety issues
- implement workplace health and safety related initiatives
- perform workplace inspections
- help with the functioning of the health and safety committee
Workplace health and safety officers appointed under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (PDF, 766 KB) must conduct an assessment of the workplace at least once every twelve months to identify any unsafe work practices. The WHSO must follow the assessment criteria set out by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, or the one agreed to by the workplace health and safety committee at the workplace.
The WHSO must record and submit the results, and any recommendations to rectify unsafe work practices, to the employer or principal contractor and the Workplace Health and Safety Committee at the workplace, within 30 days of completing the assessment.
Employers and principal contractors must:
- provide resources to allow the WHSO to conduct the assessment during normal working hours
- take appropriate action to rectify any unsafe work practices identified in the assessment
Assessments and recommendations, and other matters recorded must be kept by the employer or principal contractor for five years.
Workplace health and safety representatives (WHSR)
Workers may elect a workplace health and safety representative themselves, or at the employer's suggestion.
Elected workplace health and safety representatives (WHSR's) are entitled to:
- undertake workplace inspections
- report hazards
- review incidents
- issue provisional improvement notices (where the WHSR has completed the approved training)
After conducting an internal investigation a WHSR may:
- make recommendations in the hazard report form 2003 (PDF, 90 KB)
- provide the form to the employer - WHSRs must keep a copy
- issue a provisional improvement notice depending on the circumstances surrounding the issue being investigated.
If the issues are not satisfactorily resolved by the Workplace Health and Safety Officer, the employer or self-employed person, the WHSR may notify a Workplace Health and Safety Queensland inspector located in all regional offices.
Workplace health and safety committees
Health and safety committees help workers and employers work together to make a workplace healthy and safe.
A worker can ask for a health and safety committee. Once a worker has asked for a committee, the employer is required by law to appoint one. Employers can also establish a health and safety committee without a worker asking for one.
In some larger workplaces, there can be more than one health and safety representative. There may also be more than one committee. Major employers may have different health and safety representatives, and committees, at different offices.
Their role includes:
- encouraging and maintaining an active interest in workplace health and safety
- considering training and education needs to address workplace health and safety issues
- keeping workers up-to-date with new standards, rules and procedures
- reviewing the circumstances surrounding workplace incidents
- helping resolve issues about workplace health and safety
- providing the employer with advice on how to address workplace health and safety issues
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