COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Apply Responsible Health & Safety Practices in Work Environments course. This program has been designed to develop your knowledge, habits, and practical skills to support safe, healthy, and legally compliant workplaces across a wide range of industries and roles.

The course begins by introducing the foundations of work health and safety practice, focusing on what responsible WHS work practices look like in day-to-day activities and why they matter. This section explains the purpose and importance of WHS systems, clarifies the roles and responsibilities that different people hold under WHS legislation, and outlines the potential human, legal, financial, and reputational consequences of non-compliance for individuals and organisations.

A clear understanding of WHS legislation and duties is essential to responsible practice. This section provides an overview of relevant WHS laws and regulations and explains key duty of care obligations for persons conducting a business or undertaking, officers, workers, and others at the workplace. It also describes the specific responsibilities of workers and supervisors, and outlines how penalties and enforcement actions can apply when legal duties are not met.

Effective safety management begins with recognising what can cause harm. This section focuses on identifying workplace hazards across different categories, including physical hazards (such as plant, noise, and manual handling), chemical and biological hazards, psychosocial hazards (such as stress, bullying, and fatigue), and environmental hazards. It emphasises practical observation skills and reporting processes to ensure that hazards are recognised early rather than after an incident occurs.

Once hazards are identified, risks must be assessed in a structured way. This section explores the principles of risk assessment, including understanding how likelihood and consequence combine to determine risk level. It examines the use of risk assessment tools such as risk matrices and checklists, and shows how to prioritise identified risks so that attention and resources are directed to the most significant threats to health and safety.

Implementing effective control measures is central to preventing harm. This section explains how to apply the hierarchy of controls, from elimination and substitution through to engineering, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. It covers how to select appropriate control measures for different hazards, implement those controls in practice, and review their effectiveness over time, making adjustments where required to ensure risks remain as low as reasonably practicable.

Safe work procedures translate WHS requirements into clear, practical instructions. This section examines the purpose and structure of safe work method statements and other documented procedures, and how they support consistent and safe task performance. It also covers following documented procedures in daily work, communicating them clearly to workers and contractors, and reviewing and updating procedures regularly in response to changes, incidents, or improvement opportunities.

Personal protective equipment has an important role where higher-level controls cannot fully remove risk. This section focuses on identifying the correct PPE for different tasks and hazards, using PPE correctly and consistently, and maintaining and storing PPE so that it remains effective. It also explains the limitations of PPE and reinforces that it must be used in conjunction with, not instead of, higher-order control measures wherever possible.

Responsible WHS practice also includes effective management of incidents and near misses. This section explores how to recognise incidents, injuries, property damage, and near misses, and respond promptly to protect people and secure the area. It outlines correct reporting processes, including internal notifications and statutory reporting where required, and examines how incidents are investigated to determine root causes and develop corrective and preventive actions.

Planned workplace inspections and ongoing monitoring are vital to maintaining safe environments. This section focuses on planning and conducting workplace inspections, identifying non-compliance issues or emerging hazards, and recording inspection findings accurately. It also examines how to follow up corrective actions, track completion, and use inspection outcomes to strengthen WHS systems and prevent repeat issues.

Consultation and communication are legal requirements and practical necessities in WHS. This section explains how to consult with workers on safety issues, including through toolbox talks, meetings, and informal discussions, and how to communicate WHS information in ways that are clear and understood. It also covers supporting health and safety representatives, encouraging worker participation in WHS processes, and building a culture where people feel safe to raise concerns.

Training and competency underpin safe work practices, particularly for higher-risk tasks. This section explores how to identify WHS training needs, support effective induction processes for new workers and contractors, and ensure that workers hold the necessary competency, licences, or authorisations for particular activities. It also considers maintaining training records so that evidence of competency is available for supervision, planning, and compliance purposes.

Preparedness for emergencies is a key element of WHS responsibility. This section examines how to identify potential emergency situations relevant to different workplaces (such as fire, chemical spills, medical emergencies, or security incidents), follow emergency procedures, and participate in emergency drills. It also focuses on reviewing emergency response plans after drills or real events to identify gaps and strengthen future responses.

Accurate WHS documentation and record-keeping support legal compliance and practical safety management. This section covers completing WHS records such as incident reports, inspection checklists, risk assessments, and training records accurately and promptly, maintaining hazard and risk registers, and storing records securely. It also explains how good documentation supports internal and external audits, inspections, and continuous improvement activities.

Contractors and visitors must also be managed safely when they enter the workplace. This section explores communicating WHS requirements to contractors, monitoring contractor safety practices against site rules and legal obligations, and managing visitor safety through induction, supervision, and clear instructions. It also addresses how to respond to contractor or visitor non-compliance in a way that protects safety and maintains WHS standards.

Monitoring WHS performance allows organisations to understand how well their systems are working. This section focuses on reviewing WHS performance data such as incident statistics, inspection results, and training completion rates, identifying trends and recurring issues, and reporting WHS outcomes to supervisors, management, and other stakeholders. It also examines implementing improvement actions based on this information to strengthen WHS outcomes over time.

Finally, the course concludes with a focus on reviewing WHS systems and supporting continuous improvement. This section examines how to evaluate the effectiveness of WHS systems and processes, identify improvement opportunities from audits, feedback, and incident investigations, and implement corrective and preventive actions in a structured way. It also explores how consistent, visible commitment to WHS and ongoing improvement helps build and sustain a positive safety culture in the workplace.

By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge and practical approaches needed to apply responsible health and safety practices in your work environment, contribute to compliant and effective WHS systems, and actively support the wellbeing of yourself, your colleagues, and others affected by workplace activities.

Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

1. Introduction to Work Health & Safety Practice

• Understanding Responsible WHS work practices
• Purpose and importance of WHS systems
• Roles and responsibilities under WHS legislation
• Consequences of non-compliance

2. Understanding Work Health & Safety Legislation and Duties

• Overview of WHS laws and regulations
• Duty of care obligations
• Responsibilities of workers and supervisors
• Understanding penalties and enforcement

3. Identifying Workplace Hazards

• Recognising physical hazards
• Identifying chemical and biological hazards
• Recognising psychosocial hazards
• Identifying environmental hazards

4. Assessing Risks in the Workplace

• Understanding risk assessment principles
• Assessing likelihood and consequence
• Using risk assessment tools
• Prioritising identified risks

5. Implementing Risk Control Measures

• Applying the hierarchy of controls
• Selecting appropriate control measures
• Implementing controls effectively
• Reviewing control effectiveness

6. Developing and Following Safe Work Procedures

• Understanding safe work method statements
• Following documented procedures
• Communicating procedures to workers
• Reviewing procedures regularly

7. Using Personal Protective Equipment Correctly

• Identifying required PPE
• Using PPE correctly and consistently
• Maintaining and storing PPE
• Understanding PPE limitations

8. Managing Workplace Incidents and Near Misses

• Recognising incidents and near misses
• Responding to incidents promptly
• Reporting incidents correctly
• Investigating incidents and causes

9. Conducting Workplace Inspections and Monitoring

• Planning workplace inspections
• Identifying non-compliance issues
• Recording inspection findings
• Following up corrective actions

10. Consulting and Communicating on WHS Matters

• Consulting with workers on safety issues
• Communicating WHS information effectively
• Supporting health and safety representatives
• Encouraging worker participation

11. Supporting WHS Training and Competency

• Identifying WHS training needs
• Supporting worker induction processes
• Ensuring competency for high-risk tasks
• Maintaining training records

12. Managing Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Identifying emergency situations
• Following emergency procedures
• Participating in emergency drills
• Reviewing emergency response plans

13. Maintaining WHS Documentation and Records

• Completing WHS records accurately
• Maintaining hazard and risk registers
• Storing records securely
• Supporting audits and inspections

14. Ensuring Contractor and Visitor WHS Compliance

• Communicating WHS requirements to contractors
• Monitoring contractor safety practices
• Managing visitor safety
• Addressing non-compliance issues

15. Monitoring WHS Performance and Compliance

• Reviewing WHS performance data
• Identifying trends and issues
• Reporting WHS outcomes
• Implementing improvement actions

16. Reviewing WHS Systems and Continuous Improvement

• Evaluating WHS systems effectiveness
• Identifying improvement opportunities
• Implementing corrective actions
• Supporting a positive safety culture

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 3-4 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”.