Work Health and Safety

Factsheets / Work Health and Safety

All workers have the right to a safe and health workplace, no matter where you work or the kind of job you have. Casuals, labour hire workers, contractors and even volunteers have the same rights as all other workers.

Workplace Health and Safety Protections

New workplace health and safety laws came into effect in 2024, including industrial manslaughter laws and greater support for first responders suffering PTSD.

Right to Disconnect

From August 26, 2024 (or August 26, 2025 for small businesses), the Fair Work Act will give most employees to the right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact (or attempted contact) from an employer outside of the working hours – unless such refusal is unreasonable.

Menopause in the workplace

This fact sheet covers how unions can make changes in your workplace to help workers experiencing menopause.

Perimenopause and menopause symptoms

Menopause affects around half of Australia’s population at some point in their lives and those undergoing menopause will likely do so while they go about their regular working lives.

Mosquito-borne diseases

While mosquitos are a problem every summer, the recent arrival of the Japanese encephalitis virus in eastern Australia heightens concerns.

Natural disasters and workplace safety

Very hot days, storms, bushfires, floods and other forms of extreme weather are very disruptive to all our lives but we usually are given warnings. Weather bureaus predict and issue warnings ahead of storms, rail, hail, heat waves etc. For example, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issues: three-day cyclone outlooks during the cyclone season for most areas and state governments make available Cyclone Preparedness advice (see here) and three-day heat wave assessment warnings (see here). Bushfires are less predictable and local emergency services advice needs to be followed. Check your state or territory’s emergency services or fire services...

Ventilation

Workplace health and safety information about ventilation and COVID-19.

Understanding COVID-19 risks in your workplace

Workplace health and safety information about physical distancing and ventilation

Consulting Workers

Workplace health and safety information about managing the risk of COVID-19 in the workplace and consulting workers.

Safety Gear (PPE)

Workplace health and safety information about managing the risk of COVID-19 and safety gear/personal protective equipment.

Vaccinations

Australian Unions answers key questions you may have about the vaccination program and your workers' rights

Risk Management

Employers have a legal responsibility to identify hazards and control risks before they can cause harm. Risk management is the process of: identifying hazards assessing the risk of harm from those hazards introducing controls needed to eliminate or reduce the risk Under the law, employers must eliminate or reduce risks so that workers have the highest level of safety reasonably practicable. Hierarchy of Control Any health and safety risk identified should be managed using the hierarchy of control. This is a method for controlling hazards that can be used for minimising any risk. It aims to provide the highest level...

Compensation

Anybody injured at work has a right to workers compensation, including paid leave and compensation for medical costs. This applies to both physical and mental injuries and can occur at the workplace or offsite. Each state and territory has its own worker’s compensation scheme. If you are injured at work, you need to: You can get a workers injury claim form your employer or online. Your employer must send the claim form to their insurance company, which will investigate the claim and decide if compensation is payable or not. Your rights As well as the right workers compensation,...

Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)

By electing a HSR, workers get more of a say on health and safety issues and receive extra protection under the law.

Injury Reporting

Under the law, ‘injuries’ means physical or mental injuries, diseases or illnesses. All workplaces should have a clear system of reporting injuries or other health and safety issues. Employers have a responsibility to: keep a register of injuries make it clear to workers how to report and record injuries in the register display information about reporting injuries (including timeframes) in a place where all workers can see it If you are injured at work, you can enter the incident yourself in the register, or ask someone else, such as the Health and Safety Rep, to do it for you. If...

Health and Safety

Safe Workplaces Employers have a legal duty to make workplaces safe for everyone. Health and safety risks exist in every workplace, but by following proper health and safety practices and communicating openly with workers, employers can eliminate or reduce these risks. Workers have an important role to play in ensuring their own safety as well. You are responsible for taking reasonable care of our own health and safety and that of your co-workers. But if your employer is putting health and safety at risk, they are breaking the law. Note: Health and safety laws vary between States and...

Your Rights Working in Heat

Every employer or Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) has a duty of care to “ensure the health and safety of their workers and others at the workplace”. This includes ensuring that workers are not exposed to hazardous temperatures. Working in excessively hot weather can be extremely dangerous, and even fatal. Every year, around the world, workers die on the job due to extreme heat. As the temperature rises the body becomes less able to cope with the strain, serious health risks such as: Heat Cramps: These are painful cramps in the legs and arm muscles, the...

Unsafe work and bullying

All workers have a right to a safe and healthy work environment. Unsafe working conditions can lead to serious health complications for workers and even workers’ deaths. Unions take safety at work very seriously. One of the central functions of unions is to advocate for workers’ safety to businesses and the Government and to assist individual members who have suffered work injury. Safe workplacesIt is an employer’s responsibility to ensure the safety of their worksites and their employees. There should be clear avenues available for employees to express concerns about potential health risks, including employees being encouraged to...