The three OH&S Cs: Consult, Co-operate and Co-ordinate with Other Duty-Holders

Contractors' and other employers' approach to the provision of a safe workplace cannot be implemented in isolation from the context of their work environment. Employers must acknowledge the existence of other contractors in co-operating and co-ordinating efforts to implement a safe work environment and assess site specific risk.

A recent decision in the Industrial Court of New South Wales where three contractors were each fined $120,000 for the death of an employee highlights the need for contractors on multidisciplinary worksites to focus on communication and co-ordination in risk assessment and in the implementation of safety policies and procedures. The Court recognised that these contractors had good internal communication, however their general discussions fell short of what was necessary to discharge their obligations under the Occupation Health and Safety Act 2000 to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees.