Under the Workers Compensation Laws, the PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) or responsible person is required to identify and assess hazards and implement control measures to minimise or eliminate risks to the health and safety of workers, self-employed persons and members of the public. Each building will need to regularly identify and assess hazards and risks and ensure the following are up to date for each building:
Hazards and risks which may apply to the Committee can include pools, storage of hazardous material, slips, trips and falls. This will require bodies corporate to keep registers, discuss issues with tradespersons, have adequate training for risks and have adequate documents displayed advising of risks.
The body corporate committee will need to discuss these issues on a regular basis and in some cases consider engaging a professional company to inspect the building and complete a safety or compliance report. The report should identify any potential hazards within the property and apply a risk assessment management plan and control measures for each.
The report should also identify whether the required reports and plans, such as the emergency evacuation plan, are available onsite or are accessible to the relevant persons.
Under the duty of care obligations, a PCBU must take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of all workers and contractors onsite.
It also recommended that a policy for Workers Compensation be considered to ensure that where the body corporate mat fall into the PCBU category that the Body Corporate is covered for Workers Compensation. Further information on bodies corporate and workers compensation is available here.
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