Occupational health and safety (OHS) is about protecting the health and safety of people in the workplace.
It typically covers safe use of machines, avoiding chemical spills, recording any injuries and so on. OHS requirements apply throughout the Forest and Forest Products Industry.
State OHS laws
Each state or territory has an Occupational Health and Safety Act, or equivalent, covering all workplaces. The legislation generally describes the requirements for ensuring a safe and healthy workplace. It is designed to reduce the number of injuries in the workplace by imposing responsibilities on workers and employers.
State-based OHS legislation is the most common requirement encountered by enterprises or assessors in industries such as this. Safety in the workplace is reflected in almost every Training Package competency standard. At some point, whether to do with performance or essential knowledge, units of competency make some reference to state OHS requirements.
Further information
Most WorkCover authorities have useful websites that can help identify the legislation.
