Work Health and Safety for Australian Small Businesses

Work health and safety obligations apply to every business, not just construction sites and factories. If you run an Australian small business, whether it is a shop, an office, a salon, a trades operation or a home-based service, you have a duty to keep workers and others affected by your work safe. The good news is that a practical, plain-language approach is usually enough.

What the duties actually mean

Under Australian work health and safety laws, a person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others who might be affected by the work. "Reasonably practicable" means weighing the likelihood and severity of harm against what it would cost and how difficult it would be to control the risk. Small businesses are not expected to eliminate every risk; they are expected to identify significant ones and take sensible steps to manage them. Duties apply to employees, contractors, labour-hire workers, volunteers in some cases, customers and visitors.

Identify the hazards in your own workplace

Walk through a typical day and write down what could cause harm. Common risks in small businesses include:

• Slips, trips and falls, especially in wet areas, warehouses and on stairs.
• Manual handling, including lifting, carrying, repetitive tasks and awkward postures.
• Machinery, tools and electrical equipment, including leads and power boards.
• Hazardous chemicals, cleaning products and dust.
• Vehicles, loading areas and driving for work.
• Fatigue, work pressure, bullying and harassment, which are psychosocial hazards.
• Remote and lone work, where help may be slow to arrive.

For each hazard, decide how likely it is, how serious the harm could be, and what you will do about it. Eliminating the risk is best. If that is not possible, use guarding, ventilation, safe work procedures, training and personal protective equipment in that order.

Train and supervise your people

Workers need to know how to do their job safely and what to do in an emergency. Induction should cover the specific hazards of your workplace rather than a generic video. Where work involves high-risk activities, formal training is often required. For example, anyone operating elevating work platforms needs appropriate licensing and instruction, and the same logic behind scissor lift training and its role in protecting lives applies to any task that carries a serious risk of injury.

Put simple systems in place

You do not need a thick manual. Most small businesses need:

• A short safety policy signed by the owner.
• Documented risk assessments for higher-risk tasks.
• Incident and near-miss reporting, with a simple register.
• Emergency procedures, first aid arrangements and contact details.
• Records of training, inductions and equipment maintenance.
• Workers' compensation insurance, which is compulsory in most circumstances.

Review these documents at least once a year and whenever you change equipment, premises or the way you work.

Contractors, shared spaces and multiple businesses

If you engage contractors, you share responsibility for safety with them, and you should check their licences, insurance and safe work methods. If you operate from a shared or coworking building, clarify who is responsible for what. Common areas, emergency procedures, electrical safety and building maintenance are usually managed by the operator, while your own workstation, equipment and work practices remain yours. The practical arrangements are similar to those you would consider when choosing a coworking space for your business.

Build safety into everyday habits

Safety works best when it is part of normal operations rather than a paperwork exercise. Encourage workers to report problems early, act on the reports, and lead by example. Short, regular toolbox talks, a clean and organised workspace, and prompt repairs to equipment prevent far more injuries than a policy document ever will.

Frequently asked questions

Do work health and safety laws apply to a sole trader with no employees?

Yes. You still have duties to yourself and to anyone else affected by your work, including clients, visitors and members of the public.

What records should I keep?

Keep risk assessments, incident and near-miss reports, training and induction records, equipment maintenance logs, and evidence of consultation with workers. Records also help if a regulator or insurer asks questions later.

What should I do if there is an incident?

Make the area safe, provide first aid and emergency assistance, notify the relevant regulator where required, and record what happened. Then review your controls to reduce the chance of it happening again.