As described by the Model Work Health and Safety Act, the primary duty of care of a person conducting a business or undertaking is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers engaged, or caused to be engaged by the person; and workers whose activities in carrying out work are influenced or directed by the person, while the workers are at work in the business or undertaking. The directive further states that, without limiting those subsections, a person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the provision of any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business or undertaking.
These sections and subsections form part of Division 2 of the Model Work Health and Safety Act, describing the Primary Duty of Care of a person conducting a business or undertaking.
To provide information to workers, employers must communicate details regarding hazards, risks, safe systems of work, the safe use of plant, the safe handling of substances, and other information that is necessary for workers to complete their duties of work safely, in a manner that is accessible with respect to language and presentation style. This information must be accessible after the fact, and be kept up-to-date as contemporary reference to inform future actions and operation.
Information includes such material as hazard and risk registers, materials data sheets, reference logs of procedures and policies, emergency protocols, as well as other information. Data regarding the findings of safety inspections and assessment such as sampling, audits, and hazard checks should be presented clearly and comprehensibly, both to provide the worker with information regarding management action and intent, as well as to indicate areas of concern and prioritisation. Additionally, workers should be able to engage with this information for their own protection and orientation. This applies to the manufacturers of plant and consumables, who must provide information for safe use of plant and systems at workplaces as well as general reference.
Clear, concise, information communicated in a consistent manner from a contactable source is fundamental to an effective work health and safety ecosystem as well as operational performance. Information must be provided in a manner that supports workers to engage more effectively with information that is contextualised to their tasks, which is reinforced through multiple channels, and supported by opportunities for discussion and clarification. This includes formal training, informal instruction, and accessible reference materials that workers can return to as needed.
Communication and contemporisation of information is also central in continuous improvement of safety systems. Findings from audits, inspections, incident reviews, and consultation processes must be incorporated into the knowledge bank of the business, which includes documenting the rationale for decisions, outlining the effectiveness of existing controls, and identifying areas where additional measures may be required. When information flows effectively between management, workers, and other duty holders, it enables the business to monitor performance, evaluate the success of interventions, and adapt to emerging risks or changes in work processes. In this way, information becomes both a protective measure and a strategic asset—supporting compliance, guiding improvement, and ensuring that risk is managed proactively rather than reactively.
Each workplace is different, with different demands, methods of business, and is staffed by people whose capacities, needs, and risk profiles are different. Managing ergonomic, environmental, and occupational health and safety challenges requires a business to examine and engage with the ecosystem of factors that give rise to risk, and how that risk may affect people. Each workplace is different and so sometimes the same problem will require different solutions. This applies to workers as well - every person is different and so may require different support, supervision, or resources to perform comfortably and sustainably. Under Work Health and Safety law, consultation with the workforce, the control of risk as far as is reasonably practicable, and the provision of information, training, instruction and support to the worker by the workplace, is essential to meet obligations to provide workers with a workplace that is as free of risk as far is reasonably practicable.
In our capacity as consultants, Atlas Physio will explore and scope the business and its needs, examining how exposures, risks, and processes contribute to the hazard ecosystem, best inform the design and arrangement of procedural, policy-based, and practical risk controls. Our solutions are tailored to the needs of those with whom we work, implemented in a simple, sustainable, and supportive fashion, designed to be robust and resilient, and to support the ongoing life of the business as well as the sustainable wellbeing of the workers who undertake the day to day activities of work.
At Atlas Physio, we provide reporting, structured control, and ongoing management of risk onsite, on the road, and wherever work is done. We are open seven days a week, and are happy to offer a brief complimentary discussion to explore the needs of your business and your workers if you are an employer, and your needs if you are a worker. Reach out today to arrange a discussion and take the first step toward managing risk and working safely, supported by expertise that is practical, reliable, and designed to deliver lasting results.