Work Health and Safety
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Policy framework statement
The Work Health and Safety Policy Framework specifies the work health and safety (WHS) requirements that all Health Service Providers (HSPs) and the Department of Health (the Department) must comply with in order to ensure an effective and consistent approach to WHS management across the WA health system.
Purpose
The purpose of this Policy Framework is to ensure:
- WHS risks are identified and managed to support safe and healthy workplaces
- minimum standards and consistency are maintained with continuous improvement across the WA health system.
Applicability
This Policy Framework is binding on HSPs, their staff members and the type of public health services or facilities as specified in the mandatory requirements.
Specific responsibilities in relation to staff considered to be “Officers” under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 are set out in the WA health system’s WHS Operational Framework contained within MP 0180/23 WHS Management. MP 0180/23 also provides information on the role of staff employed as managers.
Principles
The key principles that underpin this Policy Framework are:
The WA health system is committed to the health and safety of staff and others
All HSPs and the Department, as Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs), ensure the health and safety of workers and others who may be affected by the carrying out of work, so far as is reasonably practicable.
WHS risks and hazards are identified and addressed
Workplace culture empowers the proactive identification of health, safety and wellbeing risks and management of these risks through elimination or mitigation strategies.
Responsibility for WHS management is shared
HSPs and the Department consult, coordinate activities and cooperate with each other, and with other PCBUs, to manage shared risks.
All workers contribute to a safe and healthy working environment
All workers across the WA health system take reasonable care for their own health and safety; and also take reasonable care to ensure that their acts do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons.
Legislative context
The following legislative instruments govern matters relevant to this Policy Framework:
- Work Health and Safety Act 2020
- Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022.
Mandatory requirements
Under this policy framework HSPs and the Department of Health must comply with all mandatory requirements, including.
HSPs must comply with the mandatory requirements that apply or relate to them. Compliance requirements and how the System Manager will oversee HSPs’ compliance is set out in each mandatory requirement.
Policy framework custodian
Assistant Director General
Strategy and Governance Division
Enquiries relating to this Policy Framework may be directed to:
Major amendments to this Policy Framework are tracked in the table below. For information relating to additional major amendments contact PolicyFrameworkSupport@health.wa.gov.au
Review
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This policy framework will be reviewed as required to ensure relevance and recency. At a minimum this policy framework will be reviewed within two years after first issue and at least every three years thereafter.
| Version |
Effective from |
Amendment(s) |
| 6. |
17 December 2025 |
Policy amendment: MP 0180/23 Work Health and Safety Management Policy as follows: Policy requirements: section 3.2 WHS Operational Framework section amended to include health and safety representatives; section 3.4 Reporting to the System Manager section current reporting responsibilities updated. Compliance monitoring section updated to reflect the reporting requirements and replaced Governance and System Support Directorate with the Systemwide Work, Health and Safety, and Reform (SWHSR) team. Related document: System-wide WHS Operational Framework updated. Related document: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Statement of Commitment updated to express references to patients, consumers and health and safety representatives in line with the WHS Act, align with key risk areas such as workplace aggression and violence, psychosocial hazards and mental health and wellbeing and reflect current executive appointments. Supporting Information: Inclusion of System-wide Work Health and Safety: Guideline – Management of Other Workers. Definitions updated to include ‘System Manager’ definition and updated ‘WA health entities’ definition.
Policy contact updated to reflect current policy ownership and System-wide Work, Health and Safety, and Reform generic email. |
| 5. |
17 December 2025 |
Policy review and amendment: MP 0159/21 Preventing and Managing Workplace Violence and Aggression Policy including: Title: amended from Workplace Aggression and Violence Policy to Preventing and Managing Workplace Violence and Aggression Policy. Purpose: updated to further highlight the WA health system’s commitment to providing a safe workplace for workers and a safe therapeutic environment for patients, consumers, and visitors. Reference to zero tolerance approach removed from this section. Policy requirements: new subsections included detailing requirements on leadership commitment, risk management, training, incident management (covering incident response and post incident response) and reporting and investigation and patient and visitor management. Compliance monitoring: updated to reflect current reporting requirements. Supporting information: removal of AS/NZS 4801:2001 Occupation health and safety management systems. Inclusion of Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, NSQHS Standards, Predicting, preventing and managing aggression and violence: Actions 5.33 and 5.34. Updated WorkSafe Australia, Code of Practice: Violence and aggression at work (2022). Definitions added for new terms: high risk areas, limited disclosure, notifiable incident, officer, other person, Psychological First Aid, reasonably practicable, trauma informed principles, WA health entities, worker, workplace. Updated definitions included workplace violence and aggression and incident. Policy contact: updated to reflect current policy ownership and System-wide Work, Health and Safety, and Reform generic email. |
| 4. |
15 March 2024 |
Amendment: MP 0180/23 Work Health and Safety (WHS) Management Policy Related document ‘WHS Operational Framework’ – Sections 6.8.3 System Manager reporting requirements, 6.8.4 WorkSafe WA reporting requirements and Appendix 2: System-wide WHS Consultative Forum Terms of Reference updated. |
| 3. |
6 September 2023 |
New MP 0180/23 Work Health and Safety Management Policy in effect. |
| 2. |
6 September 2023 |
3 Employment Policy Framework mandatory policies MP 0117/19, MP 0159/21 and MP 0174/21 transferred to the new Work Health and Safety Policy Framework. |
| 1. |
6 September 2023 |
Original version of Work Health and Safety Policy Framework. |
Approval
This policy framework has been approved and issued by the Director General of the Department of Health as the System Manager.
| Approval by | Dr David Russell-Weisz, Director General, Department of Health |
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| Approval date | 28 August 2023 |
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| Date published | 06 September 2023 |
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| File number | |
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