Consultation / Employee Reps

Workplace Consultation

Workplace occupational health and safety is a mandatory workplace requirement. Generally the OH&S Act in each State in Australia provides three options for consultation. Workplaces may choose to establish one or more of the following:

• Occupational health and safety (OHS) committee
• OHS representative
• Other agreed arrangements.

What is OHS consultation?

OHS consultation involves:

• The sharing of relevant information about OHS and welfare with employees;
• Giving employees the opportunity to express their views and to contribute to the resolution of OHS and welfare issues; and
• Valuing the views of employees and taking them into account.

Consultation enables employees to contribute to the decisions that affect their health, safety and welfare. It helps employers and employees to work together to seek solutions that lead to healthier and safer workplaces.

OH&S - Health & Safety Representatives

Health and Safety Representatives are employees who nominate and are elected by employees to represent them in health and safety matters.

Health and Safety Representatives (HSR's) are not responsible for health and safety in the workplace. Nor are they expected to be an expert on occupational health and safety (OHS) issues. The Health and Safety Representatives role is to monitor the workplace to ensure that occupational health and safety processes and procedures are maintained. This means that whilst the HSR is not responsible for undertaking worksite inspections or audits, they may undertake this process or accompany the relevant person to ensure that the process is being managed and that outcomes are appropriately managed.