How do I Identify and Minimise Risks in my Workplace?

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, as a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you have an obligation to provide a safe and healthy workplace for your workers and for others at your business or workplace.

As the PCBU, you must take action to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. The changes in public health laws do not remove or reduce this WHS duty.

You must identify risks to health and safety from exposure to the COVID-19 virus, and wherever possible, put in place appropriate controls.

You also need to follow relevant public health requirements.

Risks from the COVID-19 virus can be physical or psychosocial. What you do to manage the risk of exposure to COVID-19 will depend on your workplace and the work that you do.

You should consider the development of a COVID Safety Plan. A COVID Safety Plan should:

encourage workers to stay home if they are unwell.
Where workers are COVID-19 positive and well enough to work, or are household contacts, encourage them to work from another location, such as their home. Keep in mind this may change, increase or create new work health and safety risks e.g. domestic violence.
encourage good hand hygiene by providing access to appropriate hygiene facilities
encourage the use of face masks where physical distancing is difficult to maintain
undertake regular cleaning and disinfecting of the workplace, particularly for surfaces that are frequently touched, and
conduct regular training for workers on COVID Smart behaviours .

You must consult with your workers about what you plan to do. If you decide to have a COVID Safety Plan, you should keep a copy of it readily available at the workplace.

If you do not have a COVID Safety Plan, you must still manage the risks using your risk management system.

More information on common control measures, including vaccinations and masks is below.

Vaccinations

The PCBU must still manage the risk of COVID-19, but they are not mandated to use vaccination as a control.

Employers will need to consider whether they wish to implement their own vaccination requirements.

Subject to this risk assessment and the requirements of anti-discrimination laws, including the ACT Discrimination Act 1991, and the ACT Human Rights Act 2004, businesses may choose to make it a condition of entry that people attending their premises be vaccinated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

If, as a PCBU, you are considering requiring vaccination as a condition of entry to your premise, you should seek advice before doing so, as there will be privacy and discrimination considerations that apply.

Businesses should ensure that any conditions or restriction do not unduly impact people's ability to access essential goods and services.

Ensure you keep up to date with any vaccination requirements.

Masks

Workers can be directed to wear a P2 or N95 mask if the employer, in consultation with workers, considers it is a necessary control measure to minimise the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

Masks can be an effective control measure for workplaces such as hospitals, medical centres or aged care facilities where workers have frequent, close contact with sick or vulnerable people and might be exposed to respiratory substances (e.g. through coughs or sneezes). These workers are specially trained in how to fit, use and dispose appropriately of masks to ensure so that they are safe to use.

Employers should be aware that wearing a mask may give rise to new WHS risks. Workers required to wear a mask will need to be trained in how to wear, remove and dispose of masks, including performing good hand hygiene (washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds) before fitting the mask and after taking it off. Masks also need to be maintained or replaced where necessary and stocked correctly.

Masks on their own will not control the COVID-19 virus. As with all other PPE, masks must be used in conjunction with other control measures such as physical distancing.