Legislation Summary

Occupational Health and Safety Act Overview

The Occupational Health and Safety Act imposes certain minimum conditions on all workplaces that ensures that workers are provided with an environment that neither impairs their health or imperils their safety.

The following areas are addressed

Employer's duties: requires that the employer ensure the health, safety and welfare of his or her workers.
Worker's duties: requires that the worker take reasonable care to protect his or her own health and that of workers and other persons at or near the workplace.
Contractor duties: requires that a principal contractor ensure that employers, workers and self-employed persons comply with the OHS legislation.
Suppliers duties: requires that tools, appliances or equipment supplied comply with OHS legislation.
OHS duties: outlines the general responsibilities of the Department as relating to Occupational Health and Safety.
Stop work orders: outlines the procedures regarding an order to stop work when conditions at a workplace pose an immediate risk to the health and safety of workers or other persons.
Appeals: outlines the procedure regarding an appeal from an order.
Right to refuse: provides a worker with the right to refuse to do work which he or she has grounds to believe is dangerous to his or her health or safety or that of another person.
Discriminatory Action: outlines the worker's occupational health and safety areas of involvement which are to be free from discriminatory action.
Accident Reporting: establishes procedures regarding the reporting of a workplace accident.
Occupational Health and Safety Committees: outlines the requirements for Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
Advisory Council: establishes a Council to address the Minister on matters relating to Occupational Health and Safety.
Offences: establishes the penalties for non-compliance with Occupational Health and Safety legislation.

Radiation Health and Safety Act Overview

The Radiation Health and Safety Act imposes minimum conditions for the protection of the health of persons exposed to radiation and the safety of persons in connection with the operation and use of radiation equipment and associated apparatus.

The following areas are addressed

Approval of radiation equipment installation: ensures that radiation equipment shall not be installed in a location unless that location has met with requirements as established by the Department.
Registration of Radiation equipment: requires an owner of radiation equipment to register radiation equipment upon assuming ownership and in September of every year.
Owner's responsibility: outlines the requirements relating to the ownership and use of radiation equipment.
Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Committee: a committee to advise the Minister on matters relating to Radiation Health and Safety.
Offence: Establishes the penalties for non-compliance with the Radiation Health and Safety legislation.