WorkSafe

Risks to both physical and mental health in your workplace must be managed. If you are a PCBU, you must identify, assess and control hazards. The goal is to eliminate risks, and if that’s not possible, you must minimise the risks as much as you can.

Steps to manage risks

Identify hazards

Regularly check the workplace for potential hazards such as hazardous chemicals or manual handling risks.

Assess risk

Determine how likely the risks are and how severe the consequences of those risks.

Duties of a food outlet

Food outlets that operate as PCBUs are responsible for the health and safety of their own workers and any delivery riders they engage or interact with. They must also protect customers and others who may be affected by their operations.

Duties of a food delivery platform

If you operate a food delivery platform, you are also considered a PCBU and must therefore ensure the safety of your delivery riders, customers and other people affected by your operations.

If you are an employer, also known as a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you are responsible for ensuring that the workplace is safe and designed to allow safe movement and evacuation in case of emergencies. Key aspects to consider include:

Food delivery drivers

Food delivery workers, especially those in the gig economy with short-term temporary work, face unique risks from outdoor work, traffic and public interactions. Additional hazards for these workers include:

Protecting workers’ mental health is just as important as their physical health. A workplace that supports mental well-being not only safeguards workers’ health but also helps maintain a safe and productive environment.

What are psychosocial hazards?

Psychosocial hazards are factors in the design, management, or social interactions of work that can cause physical or mental harm. These hazards stem from:

Having conversations with your workers lets you gain first-hand knowledge and experience that will help build a healthy and safe workplace. Workers are much more engaged in the workplace if they understand the organisation’s objectives and their role in achieving these.  This can also foster trust in management and lead to improved productivity.

Consulting with workers and their representatives on health and safety matters is also a legal requirement under work health and safety laws.

Below are details of recent public consultations that have now closed. These consultations invited feedback on policies, projects and services aimed at improving health and safety outcomes across Western Australia. Summaries of each consultation are provided to show how your input is helping shape safer workplaces.

Podcasts

You can download these podcasts from your music streaming service or use the links below to listen on this device.

A high risk work licence (HRWL) is required when carrying out certain high risk work including operating cranes, boilers, forklifts, hoists, reach stackers, reciprocating steam engines, rigging, scaffolding and turbines.

A HRWL is recognised in all states and territories of Australia, enabling the holder to perform high risk work under consistent standards.

The requirements to hold a HRWL do not apply if you are:

A workplace assessment should be conducted and reviewed regularly to identify any hazards in the workplace. This is so that control measures can be implemented to eliminate or minimise potential risks. Risk management can help you to respond to change and improve your business by preventing injuries and illness in the workplace, as well as improving the health and wellbeing of your workers and increasing productivity.

Hazards

A hazard is something in the workplace that can cause harm to people. Common types of workplace hazards include: