Your legal duties
The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) came into effect on 1 July 2005. It sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to occupational health and safety. The general nature of the duties imposed by the Act means that they cover a wide variety of circumstances, do not readily date and there is considerable flexibility for a duty-holder to determine what needs to be done to comply.
The OHS Act is based upon the following key health and safety principles:
- All people – employees and the general public – should have the highest level of protection against risks to health and safety.
- Those who manage or control things that create health and safety risks in the workplace are responsible for eliminating or reducing the risks, so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Employers should be proactive in promoting health and safety in the workplace.
- Information and ideas about risks and how to control them should be shared between employers and employees.
- Employees are entitled – and should be encouraged – to be represented in relation to health and safety issues.
New Regulations for occupational health and safety came into effect on 1 July 2007.
The OHS Regulations are intended to protect Victorian workers from health and safety risks.
