Vehicles as Workplaces Survey |
Thank you for participating in this survey. Your input is important.
Workplace health and safety (WHS) law establishes a general duty of care for persons conducting a business or undertaking, as well as duties on employers, directors, workers, contractors, volunteers, members of the public, and any person who has an influence on workplace safety. The use of vehicles by an organisation links these workplace obligations to other requirements established to regulate road traffic safety (RTS) more generally.
Gaps in awareness of WHS obligations relating to RTS are evident through instances of:
* failure to recognise work vehicles as workplaces
* failure to recognise and report road traffic crashes as WHS incidents
* treatment of major work vehicle accidents primarily as traffic offences, without investigating or addressing “safe system of work” issues.
In consultation with the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities, Austroads has initiated a project to raise awareness of and help reduce work-‐related road trauma in Australia and New Zealand. The project is not intended to increase the regulatory powers of any agency, or to affect the scope of existing duties under WHS or transport law. Martin Small Consulting has been retained to develop a guidance document and engagement strategy to support these aims.
Gaps in awareness of WHS obligations relating to RTS are evident through instances of:
* failure to recognise work vehicles as workplaces
* failure to recognise and report road traffic crashes as WHS incidents
* treatment of major work vehicle accidents primarily as traffic offences, without investigating or addressing “safe system of work” issues.
In consultation with the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities, Austroads has initiated a project to raise awareness of and help reduce work-‐related road trauma in Australia and New Zealand. The project is not intended to increase the regulatory powers of any agency, or to affect the scope of existing duties under WHS or transport law. Martin Small Consulting has been retained to develop a guidance document and engagement strategy to support these aims.
This survey has been designed to identify gaps in knowledge and practices to determine the areas in which guidance for organisations will be most useful to help them fulfil their WHS obligations in the use of vehicles as workplaces.
If you would like further information on this survey or the Vehicles as Workplace project more generally, please send an email to information@martinsmallconsulting.com