This course provides the skills and knowledge required to establish, maintain and evaluate an organisation’s work health and safety (WHS) policies, procedures and programs in a work area to ensure a safe workplace, according to WHS legislative requirements. It takes a systems approach and addresses compliance with relevant legislative requirements.

The course is grounded in Australian WHS law, covering the WHS Act, duty holders and the PCBU model, consultation, and the hierarchy of risk controls. It is aligned with WHS legislative requirements and informed by AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems).

The course modules are:

Chapter 1: Establish a WHS Management System in a Work Area
Relevant WHS policies and the legal framework, duty holders and their WHS responsibilities (PCBU, officers, workers and other persons), and the financial and human resources needed to support the system.

Chapter 2: Establish and Maintain Consultative Arrangements
The legal duty to consult, formal consultation arrangements, resolving and escalating issues, ceasing unsafe work, and communicating outcomes back to workers.

Chapter 3: Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control
Ongoing hazard identification and risk management, hazard identification during management of change, selecting and implementing controls using the hierarchy, Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for higher risk work, monitoring controls, and knowing when to seek expert WHS advice.

Chapter 4: Evaluate and Maintain the WHS Management System
WHS induction and training, recordkeeping, measuring and evaluating performance, driving improvement based on evidence, and ensuring ongoing compliance with the WHS legislative framework.