Employing or engaging suitably qualified persons to provide health and safety advice

WorkSafe’s position on the requirement to employ a person who is suitably qualified to provide health and safety advice under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.

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What it contains

Some employers may control the OHS risks in their workplace by building in-house OHS skills and getting advice from sources such as WorkSafe’s Advisory Service, inspectors, guidance, compliance codes and OHS laws.

But there may be times when the employer’s knowledge of OHS and the circumstances in their workplace mean that they need more expertise.

This positon includes information on:

  • when an employer has to consider employing or engaging a person to advise on OHS
  • what WorkSafe considers when deciding if an employer has done what is ‘reasonably practicable’
  • who a suitably qualified person is