Middle managers and supervisors are responsible for managing, leading and supporting workers to understand and meet work health and safety (WHS) policies and procedures. Show
The role of middle managers explainedDefinition of a middle managerA middle manager or supervisor is a worker who has responsibility in their organisation for managing other workers. They usually report to a senior manager, executive or another middle manager. Depending on their role and influence, a middle manager or supervisor may be an 'officer' in their organisation's business or undertaking under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act). An officer includes a person who makes, or participates in making, decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of a business or undertaking. Officers have a duty under the WHS Act to be proactive and continuously ensure that their business or undertaking complies with its relevant WHS duties or obligations. Duties of a middle manager or supervisorDuties as a workerAll workers, including middle managers and supervisors, have duties under section 28 of the WHS Act. These duties include taking reasonable care for your own psychological and physical health and safety and that your actions or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. This would include:
Duties as a middle managerAs a middle manager or supervisor, your duty as a worker to take 'reasonable care' is proportionate to the control you can exercise over your work activities and work environment. You should consider what is expected of you when carrying out your work and discharging your responsibilities according to the skills and expertise expected of a person holding themselves out to be able to undertake your management or supervisory role. For example, middle managers or supervisors are generally expected to take reasonable care to:
Duties as an officerIf you are a middle manager that makes, or takes part in making, decisions that affect all or a large part of your organisation, you would also have duties as an officer under section 27 of the WHS Act and should read the role guide for senior managers and executives. For a full list of duties, see Part 2 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. LiabilitiesAs a worker or an officer who does not comply with a duty imposed on them under the WHS Act commits an offence, and may be subject to prosecution resulting in a fine and, for an offence that exposes an individual to the risk of serious injury or death, the possibility of imprisonment. Offences and penalties are set out in Part 2 Division 5 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Key dutiesNotifying the regulatorAs a manager, you are often the first to hear about or witness an incident in or relating to the workplace. Therefore, you can play an important role in helping the 'person conducting a business or undertaking' (PCBU), who is usually your employer, to meet their legal obligations to notify Comcare. It is vital that you ensure your workplace has clear, effective and workable reporting processes that enable the PCBU to meet their obligation to notify Comcare of serious incidents. This includes ensuring workers are aware of:
Communicating and consulting with workersAs a manager, you need to ensure that workers are consulted and involved in any psychological or physical health or safety matter that will, or may, affect them. Relevant information about WHS matters must be shared with workers. Workers must also be given reasonable opportunities to express their views and raise issues by providing ideas and feedback to you as their manager, or to their health and safety representative (HSR), a safety practitioner or adviser, or other relevant managers or executives. Consultation with workers and other relevant duty holders is required when:
For more information, see the Work Health and Safety Consultation, Co-operation and Co-ordination Code of Practice 2015. The following steps can assist managers to determine how to approach consultation and communication: InformEnsure your workforce are aware of risks and how they are controlled. This could be done by:
Instruction and trainingEnsure your workers understand how to do their job in a way that does not put their health and safety, or the health and safety of their colleagues, at risk. This could be done by:
Work with health and safety representatives (HSRs)Health and safety representatives (HSRs) and other worker representatives can play key roles in getting people on board with new initiatives. They represent the interests and concerns of workers and provide valuable insight, skills and resources.
Consult workersAs workers are often the most aware of psychological and physical health and safety issues and solutions, it makes sense to listen to them. If your workers feel their ideas are valued, they will generally have a stronger commitment to tackling such problems.
Other ways to consult workers could include:
Joint problem solvingInvolving workers in problem solving can help to improve psychological and physical health and safety standards and increase productivity, efficiency and motivation throughout the workforce. It can also boost co-operation and trust between workers, managers and senior leaders. You can:
Barriers to effective consultationFinding the right time and delivering messages in the right way can be a challenge. As a manager you should establish a relationship with workers that encourages open and honest discussion and mutual trust. Consultation often fails due to:
Tips to reduce barriers through communication:
You can use the following ways to ensure you are promoting and contributing to effective communication:
Managing the worker to cease unsafe workYou should be aware that a worker is permitted to cease, or refuse to carry out, work if the worker has a reasonable concern that to carry out the work would expose them to a serious risk to their psychological or physical health or safety. Workers who cease unsafe work must notify the relevant PCBU as soon as practicable after doing so. PCBUs can re-direct workers who have ceased unsafe work to carry out suitable alternative work at the same or another workplace. The suitable alternative work must be safe and appropriate for the worker until they can resume normal duties. As their manager or supervisor, the worker is likely to let you know of the unsafe work and you must consider how to provide suitable alternative work until the issue has been resolved. You should also:
Support work health and safety entry permit holdersThe WHS Act allows for union officials who have completed an approved training course to apply for a work health and safety entry permit. Work health and safety entry permit holders are entitled to enter workplaces and exercise certain rights, including to inspect things and talk to workers while at the workplace. You must not:
Supporting rehabilitation or return to workUnder the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act), managers have a responsibility to support the recovery at, or return to work, of employees with a work-related injury or illness. This may include:
For more information, see:
Return to Work video and factsheetAs a supervisor, you have an important role in supporting employees with an injury or illness to safely recover and return to work. This video explains the benefits of supporting employees to safely return to work, the importance of responding early to injuries and illness, employer responsibilities and how to effectively lead your organisation's return to work approach. Watch the full video - Recovery and return to work for employers
This video includes captions, which you can turn on and off. You can also watch scene by scene. Watch Employer rehabilitation responsibilitiesThis video includes captions, which you can turn on and off. Watch Good work is good for us allThis video includes captions, which you can turn on and off. Watch Supporting employees to return to workThis video includes captions, which you can turn on and off. For more information about recovery and return to work read the Supporting recovery and return to work factsheet for employers (PDF, 292.6 KB). Practical strategiesEarly interventionPrevention and early intervention is timely action to minimise the impact and duration of emerging symptoms of work-related injury or illness. As a manager you can:
For more information, see our early intervention checklist. Supporting your workers during times of changeOrganisation and workplace change can be challenging, and if not managed well, can affect morale and engagement. Consequences may include:
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