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OH&S - Consultation

Employee participation enables employees to contribute to determining how the work can be done safety.

 When to consult?

 The OH&S Act 2004 sets out that employers must as so far as reasonably practicable consult with employees when:

• Identifying or assessing hazards or risks
• Making decision on how to control risks
• Making decisions about the adequacy of facilities for employees welfare
• Making decisions about procedures to:
  • Consult with employees on health and safety matters
  • Resolve health and safety issues
  • Monitoring employee's health and workplace conditions
  • Provide information and training
• Determining the membership of any health and safety committee.
• Proposing changes to:
• The work place
  • Plant, substances and other things used in the workplace
  • The work performed at the workplace that may affect the health and safety of the employees.

Who to Consult?

Any one who are, or likely to be affected by the OH&S matter. Under the new legislation, an employee also includes independent contractor engaged by an employer (i.e. staff hired through labour hire firms)

 How to Consult.

 Effective consultation is critical for OH&S issue management and should be apart of ongoing co-operative working relationships and monitoring of workplace conditions.

• Managers need to sharing information with employees in a timely way in a form that can be understood by employees
• Employees must have reasonable opportunity to express views
• Employees should help to shape decisions about OH&S, not here about the decisions after they have been made.
• Managers need to take into account employee's views.
• Where there is more than one employer, employers should work together.