If you are a person or group conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), there are a range of duties that you need to be aware of to maintain a safe and compliant working environment for you, your staff, those recieving your products and services, and for many legally binding reasons. You’ll have contractors working for you, and visitors attending your workplace or place of business to conduct for example, delivery services, consultation and training, or even government officials auditing your processes and operations. When you consider the activity within a workplace, it can be hard to make sure each visitor adhere’s to the background requirements and safety awareness briefings that are needed to be safe within your workplace, and ensure the safety of others.
In Section 29 of the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland Code of Practice for managing the work environment and facilities, with reference to the ‘duties of other persons at the workplace’ it is stipulated that “other persons at the workplace, like visitors, must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and must take reasonable care not to adversely affect other people’s health and safety. They must comply, so far as they are reasonably able, with reasonable instructions given by the PCBU to allow that person to comply with the WHS Act” (Worksafe Queensland, 2021).
With that said, PCBU’s should be aware of visitors who are currently attending their premises, and where appropriate, make sure they know how to undertake their independent roles with reference to the responsibilities and appropriate conduct that is suitable and legally required of them whilst operating within your workplace. Note that visitors may use facilities such as toilets and bathrooms or attend restricted areas which may require further training for satisfactory conduct within your particular environment.
It should be assumed that visitors will engage with your environment which could create risk either during their visit, or afterwards, so it may also be best to know not only who is ‘actively’ existing within your working environment, but also have a historical record of who has been there in the past should any legally implicating issues arise.
Regarding engagement of visitors with your particular business operating environment, it is best to make sure they are qualified to participate which might mean wearing appropriate PPE to suit the environment (such as for construction sites or where there may be a chemical risk), and to know how to approach facilities such as mechanical drawbridges for facilitating forklifts onto trucks, as well as compactors and other commonly operated pieces of equipment. Furthermore, there will likely be communications that take place between contractors and internally employed staff, so appropriate conduct in this capacity should also be highlighted.
Recording visitor information is important for many reasons, and having a system that records and informs visitors will not only maintain visitor records and history, but will also keep your business legally compliant. Sometimes, it isn’t feasible to perform background checks on the spot, so it’s crucial recording those coming in and leaving your workplace as a PCBU, so that there isn’t any future risk to those receiving your service. For example, holding a Blue Card to demonstrate a successful background history check may be required for delivery persons who attend a child care centre as a part of their regular occupation.
Visitor Sign-in offers a complete solution for inbound visitors and contractors, and maintains records of visitors to ensure safety in your workplace. Whether your contractors or those visiting your workplace need a brief induction on safety within or on your site, or how to interpret the environment to maximise safety to themselves and others, then the Visitor Sign-in service is a perfect companion to keep your contractors, visitors, employees and customers safe, and your business compliant with WHS requirements.
References:
Workplace Health and Safety Act 2021, Queensland.
