HSR Training

Health and safety rep training is important to provide a conduit and voice within an organisation for the health and safety needs of the work group to the employers. This is required training for those who have been assigned the role of health and safety representative. While other arrangements can be made to represent workers, the HSR approach is well regarded as a key mechanism to fulfil this obligation. It is a legal obligation for WHS to have work representation.

HSR course is well respected, as it really helps HSR’s fulfil their role in representing the WHS interests of their work group and it is with this training course that the functions and activities of HSR’s can be undertaken.

Becoming a HSR plays a key role in work health and safety (WHS) in the workplace, with your main function being to represent the members of your workgroup in relation to matters and decisions on workplace health and safety. You can be a HSR, but you are not expected to be the person responsible for health and safety in the workplace, nor are you expected to be an expert on work health and safety issues. However, you would advocate for the workers within your work group. The full role is explained in the legislation Work Health and Safety Act 2011 – Queensland Legislation. A good understanding of HSR roles are explained here: Health and safety representatives and health and safety committees | WorkSafe.qld.gov.au

Work groups, as requested under section 50, exist to facilitate the representation of workers in the work group by one or more health and safety representatives and may be across one or more workplaces. Work groups are usually organised by the roles, physical area, or department people so that the HSR is better able to represent their needs in common. There can be as many HSRs and deputy HSRs as needed by your organisation after consultation, negotiation and agreement between workers and the ‘persons conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU). 

Therefore, as a HSR, you generally operate the role in relation to your own work group, but you can be supporting a different group if:

• There is a serious risk to health or safety (created by an immediate hazard) affecting workers from another work group.

A worker in another work group asks for the HSR’s assistance, and the HSR for that other work group is found to be unavailable.

If your employer has elected you as a HSR, there are certain obligations they are required to meet. Under the relevant WHS Legislation, your employer must allow you time off work to participate in one HSR initial OHS training course in each year that they hold office. This HSR initial WHS training covers the WHS risk management process and teaches participants to interpret the WHS legislative framework and its relationship to the HSR. It also shows you how to identify key parties and their legislative obligations and duties while giving HSR representatives the knowledge and skill to establish representation in the workplace.

In addition to the initial training as a Health Safety Representative, there is an annual refresher training that is also a 1 day Health Safety Representative Refresher training course. This was an added requirement into the WHS legislation in 2024. Review more information in our news announcement on HSR Mandated Training 

Yes – our HSR Course is the approved 5-day training course for HSRs as covered in Section 21 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. HSRs are elected for three years (section 64 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011). If you are newly elected, you must complete this initial 5-day training within three months from the day after being elected into the role by your workgroup (section 21 (2)(a) Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011).

A notifiable incident, under the WHS Act, is defined as the death of a person, a serious injury or illness of a person, or a dangerous incident.

Special requirements and actions apply to HSRs in this context. As a HSR, you should be advised of a notifiable incident so they can represent the workers in their work group, for example, by monitoring and investigating complaints or concerns from work group members that may be a risk to the health or safety of workers and potentially direct unsafe work to cease.

The HSR may issue a PIN if there is a reasonable belief that the person has contravened a provision of the legislation. This requires there to be a reasonable belief combined with enough information or some appropriate evidence to support or validate the belief. However, a HSR has obligations that they have to fulfil first, including consultation and opportunities to remediate and are covered in more detail as part of the HSR Training.

If you are a Health and Safety Representative for your organisation, you are required to do a specially designed HSR Refresher course every year/12 months – View HSR Refresher Course