HSR Training

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 to have work representation for WHS.

HSR training 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 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 work 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 but 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 1 or more health and safety representatives and may be across 1 or more workplaces. Work groups are usually organised by the roles, physical area or department people do 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. 

Yes – our HSR Course is the approved 5 Day Training for HSR’s as covered in Section 21 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. HSR’s are elected for 3 years (section 64 Work Health and Safety Act 2011) and if you are newly elected, you must complete this initial 5 day training within 3 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, means: The death of a person; or A serious injury or illness of a person; or a dangerous incident.
Special requirements and actions apply in relation to HSR’s 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 through to 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 reasonable belief that the person has contravened a provision of the legislation and 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 3 years – View HSR Refresher Course