When was hse setup

When setting up health surveillance arrangements, it is important to involve your employees and their representatives at an early stage as it is only effective with their co-operation. Your employees should also understand their own duties, in terms of attending appointments etc and the purpose of the health surveillance and their involvement will ensure a 'reality check' from the shop floor is included in the process. For more information, see: Involving employees. Set up and design health surveillance according to need represents the fourth part of the health surveillance cycle.

As an employer you are responsible for putting in place the most appropriate health surveillance programme for your business. After designing your programme, you may need to appoint an occupational health provider to deliver it and help you meet your legal obligations. However, by understanding a little more about what they do, you can be an 'intelligent customer' and purchase the right health surveillance services.

If you have union-appointed representatives, the union will have written to you to let you know who they are and they may have requested that you set up a committee. If you do not have union-appointed representatives, or they are not representing everyone, then you will have to arrange elections for your employees so they can choose their representatives.

If you want to involve your employees from the beginning of the process, then you can set up a small joint working group to get the committee started. They can help you with arrangements for organising the election. A working group may only need to meet a few times to get the early arrangements sorted out. The size should be manageable for the aims you want to achieve, usually between members but it will depend on your business.

All workers are entitled to work in environments where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Under health and safety law, the primary responsibility for this is down to employers. Employers have a duty to consult with their employees, or their representatives, on health and safety matters.

The guiding principle of the WHS Act is that all people are given the highest level of health and safety protection from hazards arising from work, so far as is reasonably practicable.