The Safety Spotlight on Small Business

admin • July 1, 2025

The rise of podcasts has made learning and information so accessible and learning about OHS is no different.

We came across the WorkSafe Act podcast ‘The Safety Spotlight’ episode on ‘Small Business’.


In this podcast, Jacqui Argius, the WorkSafe ACT Commissioner talks about safety in small business. She is joined by Michelle Boundy in a podcast led by Lish Fejer. They discuss a number of matters relating to safety in the small business environment, which are summarised below.


Small businesses are required to be compliant with safety legislation, no matter how small they are.


It is often the case that small businesses have less OHS expertise. Sometimes they may think that a serious incident ‘won’t happen here’. They may not have a good understanding of what their legal obligations are. Sometimes there may be a ‘fear factor’ about their lack of understanding of how to meet their legal obligations. They may think that they are too small to need proper systems.


But – just because they are small, this doesn’t mean that they don’t need to meet the same requirements as the larger businesses when it comes to safety, and this includes both physical and psychosocial safety.


Small businesses must also have WorkCover insurance.


Like in all businesses, consultation is key. ‘Talking to your workers’ is so important to ensuring a safe workplace. This includes ensuring that young workers and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can understand. Guidance material regarding how to communicate safety information is available.


The importance of training is also covered. Small businesses must have an induction process and ongoing training for their workers. Employees must also be trained in how to report hazards.


The application of risk management systems and the hierarchy of controls is the same in small business as in any workplace, as is the concept of ‘reasonably practicable’. The commissioner highlights that the cost of implementing a control will not be considered to be important if a matter goes to court. The employer must eliminate or implement controls to all risks to health and safety.


The podcasters acknowledge that there are a myriad of pressures on small businesses – but highlight that this does not reduce their obligations in relation to safety. Nor does it exempt the business from enforcement by the regulator: ‘we will be regulating them the same as anyone else’.


Overall, the podcast highlights the need for small business owners to be pro-active and build a safety-first culture.

To listen to the WorkSafe ACT Small Business Podcast, check out: Ep. 2 - Small Business


There are many resources available to small business to ensure that they are providing and safe and healthy workplace. In Victoria these include:

  • Getting some help from WorkSafe through the OHS Essentials program, which is free to small business and a great place to start.
  • Accessing health and safety checklists as a way to begin a self-assessment.
  • Reading about your obligations and legal requirements.

Take a look at the WorkSafe website to access these resources here: Small business | WorkSafe Victoria

Q fever as a hazard in the workplace

By admin • November 17, 2025
Q fever is a serious but preventable disease that affects people working with animals or animal products. Protecting yourself and your workplace requires awareness, vaccination, and safe practices. What is Q Fever? Q fever is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. It primarily affects people who work with animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats, or handle animal products like hides, wool, and meat. The bacteria can survive in dust and soil for long periods, making it easy to spread in agricultural and processing environments. Who is at Risk? Certain industries and roles face higher exposure: Farmers, shearers, and abattoir workers Veterinarians and animal handlers Meat and dairy processors Laboratory staff working with animal samples Workers at stockyards, animal transport, in shearing sheds etc Any workers in animal facilities Even visitors to farms or facilities can be at risk if proper precautions aren’t taken. How do you get Q Fever? Q fever can he transmitted through aerosols, dust or through contaminated animal products. For example: Through animal tissues, such as when birthing, slaughtering or butchering Through faeces, urine and placentas From contaminated wool, hides, animal bedding, or equipment When breathing in dust infected by animals, including when mustering, transporting or shearing When slashing contaminated grasses or handling contaminated soil or hay By drinking unpasteurised milk which is infected By touching infected tissues or fluids when you have a cut or broken skin What are the signs of Q Fever? Q fever causes an illness which can last for up to 6 weeks, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Common symptoms include: High fever and chills Severe headaches Muscle pain and fatigue Sweats and weight loss Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea In some cases, pneumonia or hepatitis However, some people don’t recover, and they can develop a chronic illness which can last for months or years. Chronic Q fever is rare, but when it does happen, it can lead to long-term complications such as heart valve infections and infections of the bones and joints, as well as vascular disease. Up to 15% of infected people will experience sever fatigue which can last for years and is extremely debilitating. Preventing Q Fever Prevention is the best protection. Key strategies include: Vaccination : The Q fever vaccine is highly effective but requires pre-screening to avoid adverse reactions. Pre-screening will identify those who have been previously exposed or have been previously vaccinated for Q fever. Safe Work Practices : Minimise dust in animal handling areas. Use protective clothing and masks (PPE). Practice good hygiene, including handwashing after contact with animals. Education and Awareness : Employers should train workers on risks and prevention measures. Health Monitoring : Encourage workers to report symptoms early for timely medical intervention. Employer Responsibilities Employers have a duty to provide a safe workplace. If there may be a risk of exposure to Q Fever in their workplace, this includes: Offering vaccination programs Implementing dust control measures Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) Ensuring staff are informed about Q fever risks and prevention Identification of high-risk areas of the workplace Having a workplace Q fever policy As with all workplace hazards, the employer has a duty to provide a safe workplace and to control risks to health as far as reasonably practicable. They also have a duty to consult with their employees and their health and safety representatives (HSRs). This includes during the hazard identification process, which making decisions on how to control risks, and when monitoring how the control measures are working. Building a Safer Future Q fever is preventable, but only if workplaces and individuals take proactive steps. Vaccination, hygiene, and awareness are the cornerstones of prevention. For those working with animals or animal products, staying informed and protected is not just about personal health—it’s about safeguarding the entire community. Q fever is a workplace hazard that demands attention. With vaccination and safe practices, we can protect workers, families, and communities from this hidden threat. More information on Q fever can be found at Q fever | Better Health Channel or at Preventing Q fever | WorkSafe Victoria

Psychological Health Regulations: A Focus on Risk Management - a Summary of WorkSafe's Webinar

By admin • October 27, 2025
Almost 14,000 people registered to attend WorkSafe Victoria’s webinar “Psychological Health Regulations: A focus on risk management” held on 27 th October 2025. The webinar was essentially an overview and pointed to a number of resources for employers to access to ensure they are compliant by 1 st December 2025. WorkSafe Representatives explained that employers have always had a duty to provide a safe workplace - including physically and psychologically. However, the new regulations introduce a specific duty relating to the need to identify and control risks associated with psychological health in the workplace. Psychosocial hazards are factors in the workplace which may create a negative psychological response which can pose a risk to a worker’s health and safety (eg: long hours, work demands, low role clarity, sexual harassment, bullying, etc). WorkSafe were very clear that The Psychological Health Regulations do not impact any workers eligibility for mental injury claim, as they have no impact on the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation (WIRC) Act. The stated aims of the Regulations were as follows: 1. To strengthen the OHS framework by recognising psychosocial hazards as equally harmful as physical hazards. 2. To provide clearer guidance to employers on their obligations to protect employees from psychological injury. 3. To create specific obligations for Victorian employers to identify and control psychosocial risks in their workplaces. 4. To support employers through a range of tools and non-statutory guidance, including an optional prevention plan template to guide the risk management process. 5. To ensure compliance by providing a practical code to help employers meet their duties under the Regulations. These regulations are part of a broader effort to address the increasing prevalence of work-related mental injuries and to create a safer, more supportive work environment for all employees. WorkSafe explained that they was now a prescribed risk management process which requires all employers to identify psychosocial hazards and to control the risks by eliminating or reducing the risks as far as reasonably practicable. The risk management cycle (see image below) Step 1. Identify hazards Step 2. Assess the risks (including likelihood and consequence) Step 3: Control the risks (in line with the Hierarchy of Control) Step 4: Review – monitor, review and revise Throughout the process, consultation must occur Hierarchy of Control (see image below) The WorkSafe representatives explained the hierarchy of control for psychosocial hazards – noting that elimination is the first priority, and if not possible then there were ways to reduce the risk by making changes to limit exposure or to reduce the effects of exposure to the psychosocial hazard. In most cases, information, instruction or training will form part of the management of the risk. However, this should be in combination with higher order controls due to the fact that these are the least effective option. Compliance code The new compliance code Compliance code: Psychological health | WorkSafe Victoria provides a comprehensive guide to what is required in relation to the new Regulations. Hazard prevention plan There is a psychological hazard prevention plan template which can be found at: Prevention plans for psychosocial hazards | WorkSafe Victoria which is a simple way to go through the risk management process and to document it. Prevention plans are not mandatory – although strongly encouraged. You can use another method to carry out and record your risk management process. Enforcement WorkSafe inspectors may issue improvement notices in the same way as they do for physical hazards. Inspectors will be addressing complaints as well as conducting proactive and strategic workplace visits. All employers, whether in a large or small business, will be required to comply. Reporting Employers need to treat psychological hazards in the same way as physical risks – so you can use your existing internal reporting processes for these too, although they may need to be adapted for this purpose. There are no new mandatory reporting requirements. Commencement The Regulations commence o n 1 st December 2025, to allow time for employers to prepare. It was noted by WorkSafe that the obligation to provide a work environment without risks to psychological health is already required under The Act and that there has been significant lead-time to the new Regulations. Therefore, there is an expectation that employers are already across the requirements, however there is still time prior to 1 st December 2025 to ensure compliance with The Regulations. Before December, employers should have in place: evidence of having identified and controlled psychosocial hazards and have a prevention plan (or alternative) in place, noting that consultation with employees must occur as part of this process. Key takeaways: Employees psychological health must be treated equally to physical health. The Regulations and Compliance Code provide the guidance to employers on how to do that in the most effective way. Employers are encouraged to have a close look at the Compliance Code, which provides practical guidance. Risk management is an ongoing process, not a ‘set and forget’, there is a process of continuous improvement. This means ongoing monitoring and review of psychological risks and the controls. For more information and resources: WorkSafe psychological health page: Psychological health | WorkSafe Victoria To view the full webinar: https://tsglive.com.au/HSMweb3