What Are The Main WHS Responsibilities Of An Employer?

Under the model WHS framework, a PCBU's primary responsibilities include providing and maintaining a safe work environment, safe plant and systems of work, suitable facilities, information, training, instruction and supervision, and relevant monitoring. PCBUs must also manage risks and consult workers about health and safety matters that affect them.

What Are The Four Key Principles Of WHS In Australia?

Under the model WHS laws, duties are not transferable, one person can hold more than one duty, several people can hold the same duty concurrently, and risks must be eliminated or, where elimination is not reasonably practicable, minimised so far as is reasonably practicable.

Is A PCBU The Same As An Employer?

Not always. An employer can be a PCBU, but the PCBU concept is broader. Depending on the circumstances, it can also cover sole traders, self-employed people, partnerships and other organisations or undertakings.

Can A PCBU Transfer WHS Responsibilities To A Manager Or Contractor?

No. Tasks can be assigned and several duty holders may share responsibilities, but a WHS duty cannot simply be transferred to another person. Each duty holder must meet the responsibilities that apply to them, taking account of the matters they can influence or control.

What WHS Responsibilities Does A PCBU Have Towards Contractors And Visitors?

Under the model WHS framework, a PCBU's primary duty can extend beyond direct employees. Contractors, subcontractors and labour hire workers may fall within the definition of workers, while the duty also covers other people whose health and safety may be affected by the work.

What Responsibilities Do Employees Have Under WHS Laws?

The model WHS framework sets out four core worker duties rather than a universal statutory list of five. Workers must take reasonable care of their own health and safety, take reasonable care not to adversely affect others, comply with reasonable WHS instructions and cooperate with reasonable workplace health and safety policies and procedures.

WHS Responsibilities: Employer and PCBU Duties

Q: What Are The Main WHS Responsibilities Of An Employer?

Under the model WHS framework, a PCBU&#39;s primary responsibilities include providing and maintaining a safe work environment, safe plant and systems of work, suitable facilities, information, training, instruction and supervision, and relevant monitoring. PCBUs must also manage risks and consult workers about health and safety matters that affect them.

Q: What WHS Responsibilities Does A PCBU Have Towards Contractors And Visitors?

Under the model WHS framework, a PCBU&#39;s primary duty can extend beyond direct employees. Contractors, subcontractors and labour hire workers may fall within the definition of workers, while the duty also covers other people whose health and safety may be affected by the work.

Keeping people safe at work is not just the job of a safety officer. In most Australian jurisdictions, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has the primary duty to protect workers and other people from health and safety risks, so far as is reasonably practicable.

These WHS responsibilities cover far more than preventing obvious accidents. They include safe work systems, training, consultation, workplace facilities, risk controls and both physical and psychological health. Because WHS laws are implemented by individual jurisdictions and Victoria operates under a different OHS framework, businesses should always check the WHS laws that apply in their state or territory.

What Are WHS Responsibilities?

WHS responsibilities are the legal duties that help protect people from work-related health and safety risks. Under the model WHS framework, duties apply to different people, including PCBUs, officers, workers and other people at a workplace.

For employers and business operators, the main responsibility usually sits with the PCBU. A PCBU has the primary duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers while they are carrying out work and other people who may be affected by that work. Safe Work Australia explains how these different roles fit together in its guidance on duties under WHS laws.

If you need the wider framework first, our guide to how Work Health and Safety works in Australia explains the laws, duty holders and broader risk-management system.

What Is A PCBU, And Is It The Same As An Employer?

A PCBU is a person conducting a business or undertaking. The concept is broader than the everyday word “employer”. Depending on the circumstances, a PCBU can include a company, sole trader, partnership, government body or self-employed person.

A person may also hold more than one WHS role. For example, a self-employed person may be both a PCBU and a worker.

This distinction matters because WHS duties depend on the legal role a person or organisation holds, not simply a job title. Safe Work Australia provides more detail on who has duties under the model WHS laws.

Victoria is an important exception. It has not implemented the model WHS laws and instead uses its own Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 framework. Victorian businesses should therefore rely on the duties and requirements set out under the Victorian OHS system.

What Are The Main WHS Responsibilities Of A PCBU?

Under the model WHS framework, a PCBU's primary duty covers several connected areas. The aim is not simply to respond after somebody is injured. Businesses need systems that identify and manage risks before harm occurs.

Main WHS responsibilities of a PCBU in Australia including safe systems training facilities and monitoring

Responsibility	What It Means In Practice
Safe work environment	Keep workplace conditions free from uncontrolled health and safety risks
Safe plant and structures	Make sure equipment, machinery and structures can be used safely
Safe systems of work	Plan and maintain safe ways of carrying out work
Safe handling and storage	Manage risks from plant, structures, substances and materials
Adequate facilities	Provide suitable facilities for worker welfare
Training and supervision	Give workers suitable information, instruction, training and support
Monitoring	Monitor workplace conditions and worker health where required
Physical and psychological health	Manage risks that can harm physical or psychological health

These responsibilities form part of the primary WHS duties of a PCBU, although the exact requirements will depend on the workplace and applicable jurisdiction.

Provide And Maintain A Safe Work Environment

The workplace itself needs to be managed with health and safety in mind. This can include work areas, access and exit points, workplace layout, lighting, ventilation and other conditions that may affect workers.

WHS responsibilities can also extend beyond a traditional office or worksite. Businesses should consider risks when people work remotely or in isolation, including from home. Safe Work Australia provides specific guidance on WHS duties for remote and isolated work.

Provide Safe Plant, Structures And Systems Of Work

Safe equipment matters, but equipment alone is not enough.

PCBUs also need safe systems for how work is carried out. A machine may be well maintained, for example, but workers could still face risk if the task is poorly planned, access is uncontrolled or the operating procedure is unsafe.

Plant, structures and work processes therefore need to be considered together as part of the wider safety system.

Ensure Safe Use, Handling And Storage

A PCBU must also manage risks linked to the use, handling and storage of plant, structures and substances.

The controls required will depend on the workplace. A warehouse, laboratory, construction business and office will not face the same hazards. More specific legal requirements may also apply to areas such as hazardous chemicals, asbestos, confined spaces and high-risk construction work.

Provide Adequate Facilities

Workers need access to suitable workplace facilities.

Depending on the workplace and type of work, these can include toilets, drinking water, washing and eating facilities and first aid facilities. The facilities also need to be maintained so they remain safe and accessible.

Provide Information, Training, Instruction And Supervision

Workers need enough information, instruction, training and supervision to carry out their work safely.

What is suitable depends on the work, the risks involved and the worker's experience. A general induction may be useful, but it may not be enough for someone performing specialised or high-risk work.

This is why employers should not assume that completing one general WHS course replaces task-specific, licensed or other training required for particular work.

Monitor Workplace Conditions And Worker Health

Some workplaces require ongoing monitoring because risks and working conditions can change over time.

The PCBU's primary duty includes relevant monitoring of worker health and workplace conditions. More specific health-monitoring requirements can also apply where workers are exposed to certain hazards or substances.

Protect Physical And Psychological Health

WHS is not limited to slips, falls, machinery or manual handling.

Under the model WHS framework, health includes both physical and psychological health. This means PCBUs need to consider psychosocial hazards and work-related psychological risks as part of their wider approach to workplace safety.

Managing WHS Risks Is An Ongoing Responsibility

WHS risk management should be treated as an ongoing process rather than a document that is completed once and forgotten:

Identify hazards → eliminate risks where reasonably practicable → minimise remaining risks → review controls

Under the model WHS framework, PCBUs must eliminate health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Where elimination is not reasonably practicable, they must minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

For the step-by-step process, ACT's guide to hazard identification and risk assessment explains how businesses can identify hazards, assess risks and choose appropriate controls.

A safety policy can support this process, but having a policy on paper does not by itself control a workplace risk.

PCBUs Must Consult Workers And Share Safety Responsibilities

Consulting Workers About Health And Safety

Consultation is part of the legal WHS framework, not simply a good communication practice.

PCBUs must consult workers who are, or are likely to be, directly affected by a health and safety matter. This generally involves sharing relevant information, giving workers a reasonable opportunity to express their views, taking those views into account and advising workers of the outcome.

Where workers are represented by a Health and Safety Representative (HSR), Safe Work Australia's guidance on consulting workers about health and safety explains when the HSR needs to be involved.

WHS Responsibilities Can Extend Beyond Employees

A PCBU's responsibilities are not limited to direct employees.

Under the model WHS framework, workers can include employees, contractors, subcontractors, labour hire workers, apprentices, trainees and some volunteers. The primary duty can also extend to other people who may be affected by the work.

More than one business can also hold duties relating to the same activity. Where responsibilities overlap, PCBUs may need to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders.

Hiring a contractor therefore does not automatically remove a PCBU's own WHS responsibilities.

Australian PCBU consulting workers contractors and supervisors about workplace health and safety

What Does “Reasonably Practicable” Mean?

Many WHS duties require action so far as is reasonably practicable.

In simple terms, this means considering what can reasonably be done to protect health and safety in the circumstances.

Relevant factors include:

how likely the hazard or risk is to occur;
how serious the possible harm could be;
what the duty holder knows, or should reasonably know, about the hazard or risk;
whether suitable ways to eliminate or minimise the risk are available; and
the cost of those measures after the other factors have been considered.

Safe Work Australia's explanation of what “reasonably practicable” means for a PCBU is useful when applying this test. Cost can be relevant, but it is not the only factor.

Can A PCBU Delegate WHS Responsibilities?

A PCBU can allocate WHS tasks, but it cannot simply transfer away its legal duty.

Four important principles apply under the model WHS laws:

WHS duties are not transferable.
A person can hold more than one duty.
More than one person can hold the same duty at the same time.
Risks must be eliminated so far as is reasonably practicable, or minimised where elimination is not reasonably practicable.

Comparison of PCBU officer manager supervisor and worker WHS responsibilities in Australia

These principles that apply to WHS duties help explain why assigning safety tasks to a manager, contractor or specialist does not automatically remove another duty holder's legal responsibilities.

Role	Main WHS Position
PCBU	Holds the primary duty of care
Officer	Must exercise due diligence
Manager or supervisor	Helps implement safety arrangements according to role and authority
Worker	Must take reasonable care and follow reasonable WHS instructions and policies

A person's actual legal duties depend on their role and circumstances. For example, a senior manager may also meet the definition of an officer.

Managers may help put safety systems into practice, but they do not simply absorb the PCBU's legal duty. Our guide to WHS responsibilities for managers and supervisors explains their day-to-day accountability in more detail.

How WHS Responsibilities Differ Across Australia

Australia does not have one identical WHS Act applying in exactly the same way everywhere.

Jurisdiction	Key Point
Model WHS jurisdictions	Local legislation is based on the model WHS framework, but jurisdictional variations can apply
Victoria	Uses its own Occupational Health and Safety framework

Safe Work Australia develops the model WHS laws, but the Commonwealth, states and territories implement and enforce workplace safety laws within their jurisdictions. Victoria is the only Australian jurisdiction that has not implemented the model WHS laws.

Victorian employers should instead check their legal OHS duties under Victorian law through WorkSafe Victoria.

This difference matters when discussing specific obligations, regulations or penalties. Businesses should confirm the requirements that apply where they operate rather than assuming every model provision applies unchanged throughout Australia.

WHS Responsibilities To Watch In 2026

Psychological Health Remains Part Of WHS

Psychological health is an important part of workplace health and safety, not a separate issue that sits only with HR.

In Victoria, the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 took effect on 1 December 2025. They introduce specific requirements for Victorian employers to identify psychosocial hazards, control associated risks and review controls in certain circumstances.

Employers can explore the topic further in ACT's guide to psychological health and safety requirements. Victorian businesses should also check WorkSafe Victoria's current information on psychological health obligations.

Check Changing Exposure And Hazard Requirements

Businesses that use or generate airborne contaminants should also pay attention to Australia's transition from workplace exposure standards (WES) to workplace exposure limits (WEL).

Safe Work Australia states that the transition period ends on 30 November 2026, with the WEL framework due to apply from 1 December 2026 following implementation through the relevant laws. PCBUs affected by airborne contaminants can review the WES to WEL transition requirements and confirm the position with their local regulator.

Safe Work Australia also published a model Code of Practice for managing biological hazards at work in March 2026. Because it is a model Code of Practice, businesses should check how and whether it has been implemented in their jurisdiction before treating it as a local legal requirement.

Australian WHS responsibilities in 2026 showing model WHS jurisdictions Victoria and key workplace safety updates

Other WHS Duties That Need Their Own Procedures

Some WHS responsibilities are important enough to need separate procedures and more detailed guidance.

When a serious workplace event occurs, the rules on WHS incident reporting requirements help explain when regulator notification and related actions may be required.

First aid is another area that should be matched to the workplace's particular risks, size and location. ACT's guide to workplace first aid requirements for employers covers that topic in more detail.

Emergency planning, high-risk work and specialist training can also involve additional requirements depending on the workplace and jurisdiction.

PCBU WHS Responsibilities Checklist

Use this checklist as a practical review, not as a substitute for checking the laws that apply to your workplace:

Have we confirmed which WHS or OHS laws apply to our workplace?
Have we identified current physical and psychological hazards?
Are risks eliminated where reasonably practicable?
Are remaining risks properly controlled?
Are workers consulted about matters that affect their health and safety?
Do workers receive suitable information, instruction, training and supervision?
Have we considered contractors, labour hire workers and overlapping duties?
Are plant, workplace facilities and relevant equipment properly maintained?
Are first aid and emergency arrangements current?
Do we know how to recognise and respond to a notifiable incident?
Are risk controls reviewed when work, equipment or workplace conditions change?

The important question is not simply whether a policy or checklist exists. A business should also make sure its safety systems are current and working in practice.

How Training Supports WHS Responsibilities

Training is one part of a wider WHS system. It can help workers and managers understand hazards, responsibilities and safe work practices, but completing a course does not remove a PCBU's legal duties or replace task-specific, licensed or otherwise required training.

Teams that want to build foundational workplace safety knowledge can consider ACT's Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) course as part of their broader learning approach.

Employers deciding what safety instruction their workforce may need can also use ACT's guide to WHS training requirements in Australia to understand the training side of workplace safety in more detail.

Before choosing any training, consider the actual work being performed, the hazards involved, worker roles and any specific legal requirements that apply.

Keeping WHS Responsibilities Practical

WHS responsibilities are ongoing management duties. They are not completed simply by writing a safety policy or sending workers to one training course.

For employers and PCBUs, the practical priority is to understand who holds each duty, keep risk controls current, consult workers, provide suitable information and training, and check the requirements that apply in the relevant Australian jurisdiction.

When these responsibilities become part of everyday decisions rather than a once-a-year compliance exercise, workplace safety is much easier to manage consistently.