COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Work Health & Safety Management & Operational Leadership course. This program has been designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and practical management disciplines required to lead safe operations, meet legal obligations, and embed effective WHS systems across a wide range of workplaces. Throughout this course, you will explore how governance, risk control, consultation, incident management, and continuous improvement work together to create safe, compliant, and well-led work environments, and how WHS responsibilities are translated into clear leadership behaviours, systematic controls, and evidence-based decision-making at all organisational levels.

This course begins by introducing the core work health and safety management domains and positioning them as the overarching structure for WHS governance and operational control. This section explains the purpose and scope of WHS management across organisational operations, including strategic governance, policy, risk management, high-risk work control, emergency planning, contractor management, and performance monitoring. This section also explores how governance, risk control, compliance, and safety culture integrate within WHS systems, and outlines the accountability, officer duties, and oversight expectations that apply to executives, managers, supervisors, and workers in meeting their WHS obligations.

WHS governance, policy, and officer due diligence management is then examined as the leadership foundation that sets direction and expectations. This section explains how WHS policies, frameworks, and governance structures are established to define responsibilities, decision pathways, and minimum standards across the organisation. This section also explores officer due diligence responsibilities, reporting lines, and decision accountability, and shows how monitoring compliance performance and maintaining governance assurance systems provide leaders with the information they need to verify that WHS risks are being identified, controlled, and reviewed effectively.

Hazard identification and risk assessment management is then explored as the systematic process that underpins all other safety controls. This section explains how hazards are identified across routine work, non-routine activities, projects, and change scenarios using inspections, task analysis, consultation, and formal review processes. This section also explores risk assessment methodologies, risk rating systems, and control prioritisation, and shows how reviewing risk controls, monitoring their effectiveness, and updating risk registers ensures that WHS risks remain visible, current, and managed at an appropriate level over time.

Safe Work Method Statements and high-risk activity management is then examined as a structured approach to controlling critical risks. This section explains how SWMS are developed and approved for high-risk construction or operational tasks, clearly documenting hazards, control measures, and step-by-step work requirements. This section also explores how worker understanding and compliance with documented control measures is verified through briefing, supervision, and monitoring, and how high-risk work activities are monitored in the field with the authority to enforce stop-work controls where required to protect people from imminent harm.

Incident reporting, investigation, and corrective action management is then explored as a key mechanism for learning and prevention. This section explains how incident notification processes, classification rules, and immediate response requirements ensure that injuries, near misses, and hazards are reported promptly and managed safely at the scene. This section also explores root cause analysis methods and structured investigation procedures, and shows how corrective action tracking, verification of effectiveness, and prevention-focused recommendations are used to reduce recurrence and strengthen WHS systems over time.

Emergency preparedness, response, and evacuation management is then examined as a critical element of WHS leadership in both planning and real-time situations. This section explains how emergency planning, response procedures, and role allocations are developed for foreseeable events such as fire, medical emergencies, spill events, and security threats. This section also explores conducting drills, scenario testing, and readiness verification processes, and shows how reviewing emergency responses, updating plans, and maintaining preparedness records support continual improvement and ensure workers are confident in what to do when emergencies occur.

Workplace consultation, communication, and safety committee management is then explored as a core driver of engagement and shared responsibility. This section explains how consultation frameworks, toolbox talks, and structured safety meetings are used to involve workers in identifying hazards, reviewing controls, and improving practices. This section also explores safety committee roles, reporting channels, and issue escalation controls, and shows how engaging workers in hazard reporting and shared safety accountability builds stronger safety culture and more practical, workable WHS solutions.

Training, competency, and safety induction management is then examined as the process that ensures people have the capability to work safely. This section explains how training needs are identified in line with risk exposure, roles, and legislative requirements, and how induction processes are structured to prepare new workers, contractors, and visitors for safe participation in the workplace. This section also explores refresher training and competency verification systems, and shows how maintaining training records, currency checks, and audit-ready evidence demonstrates that the organisation has taken reasonable steps to ensure workers are competent for the tasks they perform.

Contractor and visitor safety management is then explored as a critical extension of WHS responsibilities beyond direct employees. This section explains how contractor prequalification processes, safety requirements, and onboarding controls ensure that external providers meet organisational standards before starting work on site. This section also explores contractor SWMS review, supervision, and compliance monitoring, and shows how visitor sign-in procedures, site induction, and controlled access arrangements protect visitors from harm while maintaining appropriate security and oversight of who is present in the workplace.

Plant, equipment, and asset safety management is then examined as a key control area for preventing mechanical and operational incidents. This section explains how inspection, maintenance, and safety certification processes for plant and equipment are managed to keep items safe and compliant over their lifecycle. This section also explores managing guarding, isolation procedures, and operational safety controls for machinery and powered equipment, and shows how asset lifecycle tracking, defect reporting, and removal of unsafe equipment from service prevent foreseeable failures that could injure workers or damage property.

Hazardous substances and dangerous goods management is then explored as a specialised risk area requiring clear documentation and control. This section explains how chemical registers, safety data sheets, and storage compliance requirements provide a structured view of chemical risks and necessary controls. This section also explores labelling standards, segregation controls, and spill response planning, and shows how monitoring exposure risks and maintaining regulatory documentation supports safe handling practices, emergency readiness, and compliance with chemical safety regulations.

Workplace health monitoring and exposure control management is then examined as the preventative approach to long-term health risks. This section explains how exposure risks to noise, dust, chemicals, ergonomic hazards, and other harmful agents are identified and assessed across work groups and tasks. This section also explores implementing health monitoring programs and exposure control measures such as engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE, and shows how reviewing monitoring results and adjusting controls based on findings helps prevent occupational illnesses and supports continuous improvement of health protections.

Injury management, return to work, and workers compensation management is then explored as the structured response when harm does occur. This section explains how injury notification procedures and early intervention planning support timely treatment and accurate reporting. This section also explores coordinating return-to-work programs and modified duties arrangements that balance recovery needs with operational requirements, and shows how managing workers compensation claims, documentation, and regulatory compliance supports fair outcomes for injured workers while meeting legal and organisational obligations.

WHS performance monitoring, audit, and compliance management is then examined as the assurance layer that confirms whether WHS systems are effective. This section explains how safety KPIs are established, trends are monitored, and incident data is analysed to identify recurring patterns and systemic issues. This section also explores conducting internal audits, inspections, and compliance reviews, and shows how reporting findings, implementing corrective actions, and maintaining assurance evidence allow leaders to demonstrate due diligence and verify that WHS systems are functioning as intended.

Continuous improvement and safety culture management is then explored as the ongoing effort to embed WHS into everyday thinking and behaviour. This section explains how continuous improvement cycles are linked to risk assessments, incident findings, audit outcomes, and worker feedback to drive systematic strengthening of WHS controls. This section also explores promoting positive safety culture, leadership engagement, and worker participation, and shows how embedding lessons learned into systems, training, supervision, and routine behaviours lifts long-term safety performance and makes safe work practices a natural part of “how we do things here”.

By the end of this course, you will be able to describe and apply the key work health and safety management and operational leadership disciplines required to design, implement, and oversee effective WHS systems. You will understand how governance, risk assessment, SWMS, incident management, emergency planning, consultation, training, contractor control, plant safety, chemical management, health monitoring, injury management, and performance monitoring interconnect to support both compliance and strong safety culture. Most importantly, you will be better equipped to lead WHS in your organisation in ways that are systematic, transparent, and focused on preventing harm, meeting legal duties, and supporting safe, sustainable operational performance.

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 and Safety Management Domains

• Purpose and scope of core WHS management domains across organisational operations
• How governance, risk control, compliance, and safety culture integrate
• Accountability, officer duties, and oversight expectations across WHS systems

2. WHS Governance, Policy and Officer Due Diligence Management

• Establishing WHS policies, frameworks, and governance structures
• Officer due diligence responsibilities, reporting lines, and decision accountability
• Monitoring compliance performance and maintaining governance assurance systems

3. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Management

• Systematic hazard identification processes across operational activities
• Risk assessment methodologies, risk rating systems, and control prioritisation
• Reviewing risk controls, monitoring effectiveness, and updating risk registers

4. Safe Work Method Statements and High-Risk Activity Management

• Developing and approving SWMS for high-risk construction or operational tasks
• Verifying worker understanding and compliance with documented control measures
• Monitoring high-risk work activities and enforcing stop-work controls where required

5. Incident Reporting, Investigation and Corrective Action Management

• Incident notification processes, classification, and immediate response requirements
• Root cause analysis methods and structured investigation procedures
• Corrective action tracking, verification of effectiveness, and prevention of recurrence

6. Emergency Preparedness, Response and Evacuation Management

• Emergency planning, response procedures, and role allocations
• Conducting drills, scenario testing, and readiness verification processes
• Reviewing emergency responses, updating plans, and maintaining preparedness records

7. Workplace Consultation, Communication and Safety Committee Management

• Consultation frameworks, toolbox talks, and structured safety meetings
• Safety committee roles, reporting channels, and issue escalation controls
• Engaging workers in hazard reporting and shared safety accountability

8. Training, Competency and Safety Induction Management

• Identifying training needs aligned to risk exposure and legislative requirements
• Induction processes, refresher training, and competency verification systems
• Maintaining training records, currency checks, and audit-ready evidence

9. Contractor and Visitor Safety Management

• Prequalification processes, contractor safety requirements, and onboarding controls
• Managing contractor SWMS review, supervision, and compliance monitoring
• Visitor sign-in procedures, site induction, and controlled access arrangements

10. Plant, Equipment and Asset Safety Management

• Inspection, maintenance, and safety certification processes for plant and equipment
• Managing guarding, isolation procedures, and operational safety controls
• Asset lifecycle tracking, defect reporting, and removal of unsafe equipment

11. Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods Management

• Chemical registers, safety data sheets, and storage compliance requirements
• Labelling standards, segregation controls, and spill response planning
• Monitoring exposure risks and maintaining regulatory documentation

12. Workplace Health Monitoring and Exposure Control Management

• Identifying exposure risks to noise, dust, chemicals, and ergonomic hazards
• Implementing health monitoring programs and exposure control measures
• Reviewing monitoring results and adjusting controls based on findings

13. Injury Management, Return to Work and Workers Compensation Management

• Injury notification procedures and early intervention planning
• Coordinating return-to-work programs and modified duties arrangements
• Managing workers compensation claims, documentation, and regulatory compliance

14. WHS Performance Monitoring, Audit and Compliance Management

• Establishing safety KPIs, monitoring trends, and analysing incident data
• Conducting internal audits, inspections, and compliance reviews
• Reporting findings, implementing corrective actions, and maintaining assurance evidence

15. Continuous Improvement and Safety Culture Management

• Continuous improvement cycles linked to risk, incident, and audit outcomes
• Promoting positive safety culture, leadership engagement, and worker participation
• Embedding lessons learned into systems, behaviours, and long-term safety performance

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.

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”.