COURSE OVERVIEW:
Welcome to the Ensuring a Safe & Compliant Workplace Across All Areas course. This program has been developed to provide you with the knowledge, systems thinking and organisational capability required to establish, maintain and evaluate WHS processes that support a safe, compliant and high-performing work environment.
A safe workplace depends on a structured approach to WHS management. This course begins by outlining the purpose of developing, maintaining and evaluating WHS systems; the responsibilities shared across PCBUs, officers, managers, supervisors and workers; and the legislative and regulatory WHS requirements that guide safe work practices. It also introduces the systems-based approach used in modern WHS management, highlighting how coordinated policies, procedures, monitoring processes and organisational supports work together to prevent harm and maintain compliance.
Understanding WHS legislative requirements is essential to organisational safety. This section examines WHS Acts, Regulations and Codes of Practice, along with specific legislative obligations for ensuring workplace safety. Learners review reporting and notification requirements and the legal duties of PCBUs, officers and workers in relation to risk management, consultation, incident response and continuous compliance.
WHS organisational systems provide the framework for safe work. This section explores WHS policy requirements, workplace procedures and protocols, WHS programs that support compliance, and the integration of WHS practices within broader organisational systems such as HR, operations, procurement and facilities management. Learners consider how organisational alignment supports consistent safety outcomes.
Hazard identification and risk-management processes form the core of WHS practice. This section examines procedures for identifying hazards, completing risk assessments and applying risk-control processes. It also explores the organisational, environmental and workforce factors that influence effective hazard identification and risk management.
The hierarchy of control provides a structured method for selecting risk controls. This section outlines the principles and elements of the hierarchy, how each level is appropriately applied and the organisational procedures that support implementation of effective and sustainable WHS control measures.
Accurate WHS reporting supports compliance and decision-making. This section addresses organisational and legislative WHS reporting requirements, including the communication of WHS decisions, incident outcomes and hazard reports to relevant personnel.
Clear understanding of WHS roles and responsibilities ensures accountability. This section explains the duties of PCBUs and officers, the responsibilities of workers, the leadership responsibilities that underpin WHS performance and the allocation of WHS duties across work areas and organisational levels.
Establishing an effective WHS Management System (WHSMS) is central to long-term safety performance. This section covers how to locate and communicate WHS policies, identify duty holders, allocate financial and human resources and ensure the WHSMS aligns with legislative and organisational requirements.
Consultation is a legal requirement and a practical necessity. This section examines how to establish, maintain and support WHS consultative arrangements, resolve WHS issues through participation and ensure workers receive timely information about consultation outcomes.
Effective WHS management requires systematic hazard-identification and risk-control procedures. This section explores the development of hazard-identification processes, the inclusion of WHS considerations during planning and design phases, the maintenance of control procedures, strategies for addressing inadequacies in existing controls and when to obtain expert WHS advice.
Evaluating and maintaining the WHSMS supports continuous improvement. This section outlines the development of WHS induction and training programs, the use of WHS recordkeeping systems to identify trends, methods for measuring WHSMS effectiveness and the development of system improvements to maintain compliance with legislative frameworks.
WHS induction and training create the foundation for safe work capability. This section explores required induction components, training program expectations and the skills and competencies workers must develop to meet WHS responsibilities.
WHS recordkeeping and data management systems support transparency and legal compliance. This section covers WHS recordkeeping obligations, data collection and storage requirements and the use of WHS data to identify injury patterns, trends and decision-making histories.
Issue-resolution processes are essential to WHS governance. This section examines organisational protocols for addressing WHS issues, documenting resolutions and communicating outcomes to required personnel.
Consultation, collaboration and communication influence WHS performance at every level. This section explores consultation protocols, collaborative decision-making, stakeholder engagement techniques and strategies for communicating WHS requirements to diverse workplace audiences.
The course concludes with a focus on monitoring organisational WHS compliance and the digital tools that support WHS management. This section covers reviewing policies, procedures and practices to ensure continued alignment with WHS legislation, and the use of digital systems to streamline documentation, communication, monitoring and recordkeeping across the WHSMS.
By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the WHS knowledge, system-level thinking and compliance capability required to build, sustain and evaluate safe and legally compliant workplaces.
Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.
This course is designed to align with the content outlined in the Nationally Recognised Unit of Competency BSBWHS521.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:
1. Introduction to Ensuring a Safe & Compliant Workplace
- Purpose of establishing, maintaining and evaluating WHS systems
- WHS responsibilities across various organisational roles
- Legislative and regulatory WHS compliance requirements
- Systems approach to WHS management
2. WHS Legislative Requirements for a Safe Workplace
- WHS Acts, Regulations and Codes of Practice
- Legislative requirements for ensuring workplace safety
- Reporting and notification requirements
- Legal obligations of PCBUs, officers and workers
3. WHS Organisational Policies, Procedures, Programs and Practices
- WHS policy requirements
- WHS procedures and workplace protocols
- WHS programs supporting compliance
- Integration of WHS practices into organisational systems
4. Hazard Identification and Risk-Management Processes
- Hazard identification procedures
- Risk-assessment processes
- Risk-control processes
- Factors influencing hazard and risk management
5. Hierarchy of Control Measures
- Principles and components of the hierarchy of control
- Appropriate application of each level of control
- Organisational procedures for implementing control measures
6. WHS Reporting Requirements
- Organisational WHS reporting obligations
- WHS legislative reporting requirements
- Communication of WHS decisions, incidents and outcomes
7. Roles and Responsibilities for WHS Compliance
- Duties of PCBUs and officers
- Responsibilities of workers
- Leadership responsibilities in WHS
- Allocation of WHS responsibilities across work areas
8. Establishing a WHS Management System (WHSMS)
- Locating and communicating WHS policies
- Identifying duty holders and WHS responsibilities
- Approving financial and human resources for WHSMS requirements
9. Establishing and Maintaining WHS Consultative Arrangements
- Setting up compliant consultation arrangements
- Maintaining consultation processes
- Resolving WHS issues through participation and consultation
- Providing information about consultation outcomes
10. Establishing and Maintaining Hazard-Identification and Risk-Control Procedures
- Developing hazard-identification procedures
- Including hazard identification in planning and design phases
- Developing and maintaining risk-control procedures
- Addressing inadequacies in existing controls
- Obtaining expert WHS advice
11. Evaluating and Maintaining the WHS Management System
- Developing WHS induction and training programs
- Using WHS recordkeeping systems to identify trends
- Measuring and evaluating WHSMS effectiveness
- Developing and implementing WHSMS improvements
- Ensuring compliance with WHS legislative frameworks
12. WHS Induction and Training Requirements
- Components of WHS induction
- Training program requirements
- Skills development and competency expectations
13. WHS Recordkeeping and Data Management Systems
- WHS recordkeeping obligations
- Data collection and storage requirements
- Identifying trends, injury patterns and WHS decision histories
14. WHS Issue-Resolution Processes and Protocols
- Processes for addressing WHS issues
- Organisational protocols for problem resolution
- Communicating resolutions to required personnel
15. Consultation, Collaboration and Communication for WHS Compliance
- Consultation protocols
- Collaborative WHS decision-making
- Stakeholder engagement techniques
- Communicating WHS requirements to diverse audiences
16. Monitoring Organisational Compliance with WHS Laws
- Monitoring adherence to WHS legal responsibilities
- Reviewing WHS policies, procedures and practices
- Ensuring alignment with organisational and legislative requirements
17. Digital Tools and Systems Supporting WHS Management
- Digital systems for WHS documentation and reporting
- Tools for storing and retrieving WHS information
- Enhancing efficiency in WHSMS communication and recordkeeping
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.
COURSE DELIVERY:
Purchase and download course content.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.