Consultation, Incident Reporting and Emergency Procedures
Consultation
PCBUs must consult with workers on matters affecting their health and safety, and give them a reasonable opportunity to contribute before decisions are made. Consultation arrangements include health and safety representatives (HSRs), health and safety committees, and agreed consultation procedures. HSRs have powers to inspect the workplace, request information, and direct work to cease where there is an immediate serious risk. Traps: consultation is not the same as informing workers after the fact, and a PCBU cannot ignore an HSR's request for a committee where the required number of workers requests one.
Incident notification
Some incidents must be notified to the regulator immediately (by phone or in writing as soon as practicable). These include a death, a serious injury or illness, and a dangerous incident such as an uncontrolled collapse, explosion, electric shock, or plant or structure failure. Other injuries are recorded internally and may trigger workers compensation obligations. Traps: near misses are usually not notifiable but must be recorded and investigated; notification does not replace internal investigation.
Record keeping and investigation
Incidents should be recorded, investigated to find root causes, and used to improve controls. Keep registers of injuries and notifiable incidents for the required period.
Emergency procedures
Sites need an emergency plan covering evacuation, fire, medical response, rescue from height or confined space, and communication. Workers must be trained, drills conducted, exits kept clear, and first aid available. Traps: rescue plans for fall-arrest and confined spaces must exist before work starts, because calling emergency services is not a plan.
Worked example
A worker falls from a ladder and is taken to hospital with a fractured wrist. The incident is a serious injury and must be notified to the regulator immediately, the site area preserved, an internal investigation started, and the ladder work controls reviewed.
Rule of thumb
If it could have killed someone, treat it as a dangerous incident and notify - then investigate regardless.