Communication and Consultation

Consultation arrangements may include one or more, but not limited to, the following methods:

• HSRs elected to represent their work group
• Health and safety committees
• Regular scheduled meetings
• Team meetings (where Health and Safety is an agenda item)
• One-off meetings
• Toolbox meetings
• Pre-start meetings
• Workers Insights
• Face to face discussions
• Briefing sessions

Workers are encouraged to communicate with the HY Project Team, their HSR, or other committee members about any issues or concerns they may have that may affect their health and safety, wellbeing, or psychological health.

Consultation Statement

When works begin on site, HY will convene a meeting to draft consultation arrangements for the project.  Following this discussion, the draft consultation statement will be amended as necessary to define the agreed arrangements to be implemented on the site.

The agreed arrangements must ensure that:

• Relevant information about the matter is shared with workers
• Workers be given a reasonable opportunity:
  • To express their views and to raise work health or safety issues in relation to the matter, and
  • To contribute to the decision-making process relating to the matter
• The views of workers are taken into account by HY or Subcontractors
• Workers are advised of the outcome of the consultation in a timely manner
• If workers are represented by a HSR, consultation involves the HSR

The agreed project Consultation Statement must be displayed on the Site Notice Board and covered at the Site Induction. The consultation statement is to be reviewed periodically either at arranged intervals, or following significant changes to the project – i.e. significant stage, change in workforce, or after an event or incident.

Health & Safety Representatives (HSRs)

If requested by a worker, a PCBU must facilitate the conduct of an election for one or more health and safety representatives (HSR) to represent workers.  The PCBU must facilitate the determination of one or more work groups of workers in accordance with the relevant State WHS/OHS Legislation.

Once the Work Group(s) have been determined, a HSR will be appointed to represent the Work Group on WHS/OHS matters.  The members of the Work Group will be requested to nominate a member(s) of the Work Group for the position of HSR. There may only be one HSR appointed for each Work Group.

The determination of Work Groups and the call for HSR nominees is normally conducted as a Toolbox Meeting and the outcomes recorded on the Toolbox Meeting minutes.

If there is more than one nominee, the HSR is required to be elected by the Work Group.  The election must be conducted in accordance with the relevant State WHS/OHS Legislation.  If there is only one nominee for the position, then the nominee is to be duly appointed as the HSR.

All workers in the Work Group are to be notified of the name of their HSR via posting the HSR’s details on the Site Notice Board.

HSR Training

Each HSR is eligible for HSR Training if requested. Initial training is normally of five days duration with a one-day refresher training course each year.  The training course must be one that is approved by the relevant State WHS Regulator.  Training must be requested and conducted in accordance with the HY Training & Development procedure.

Site WHS Committee

A Site WHS Committee will be established within 2 months after being requested to do so by:

• A HSR for a work group of workers; or
• Five or more workers at the site; or
• If required by the regulations to do so, within the time prescribed by the regulations; or
• At HY’s own initiative

A Site WHS Committee Constitution must be developed using the WHS Committee Constitution template.  WHS Committee members are required to read and agree to the constitution which will be recorded on a sign off sheet.

Site WHS Committee Membership

The committee provides a forum for consultation with all workers on site via their representative on the committee.  The make-up of the committee will be agreed to between workers and HY.  HY can only nominate up to half of the members of the committee.

Major subcontractors and/or designated workgroups are to be represented on the committee and a mixture of management and employees is considered ideal.  If there are elected HSRs for the project, they are to be invited to be a member of the committee.

The Committee is to be chaired by an elected representative of the site workforce and be attended by HY representatives nominated in the Constitution.

Site WHS Committee Meetings

Meetings are to be conducted minimum fortnightly. Actions arising from each meeting must be promptly followed up, closed out and verified at the next meeting.  A HY Representative will raise relevant issues from the Site WHS Committee at State HSE Committee meetings.  Alternatives to separate committee meetings may be used on small projects e.g. combine with tool box meetings.

Site WHS Committee Inspections

The committee will undertake site inspections as per agreed arrangements/timeframes outlined in the WHS Committee Constitution.  Site HSE Inspections are to be conducted in HammerTech. The Site HSE Inspection report is to be attached to the Committee meeting minutes.  A copy of the report is to be distributed to:

• Project Manager
• Notice Boards and/or Lunch sheds
• Subcontractors

The Committee must ensure that actions arising from Site HSE Inspections are raised as an observation in HammerTech, followed up and closed out in accordance with the time frame of the actions.  The Committee must also follow up the actions taken at subsequent inspections to assess the effectiveness of the actions in preventing a recurrence.

Site WHS Committee Member Training

Site WHS Committee members are eligible for training if requested.  Training needs are to be discussed with the HY Project Team to determine which type of training will be suitable.  The training should aim to provide skills and knowledge to enable committee members to participate effectively in committee duties and contribute to the continual improvement of safety performance.

Training must be requested and conducted in accordance with the HY Training & Development procedure.

Pre-Start Meetings

Pre-start meetings are conducted daily, or prior to a shift commencing, to consult, co-operate, and coordinate activities for the day with workers.  They must be conducted prior to commencing work for the day.

If feasible (e.g. on smaller projects) the HY Site Manager may conduct the Pre-start meeting for all workers.  Otherwise the HY Site Manager will conduct a meeting with subcontractor Supervisors/representatives (or their deputy) to coordinate site activities.  Generally, this meeting will be held the day before, so that relevant information can be communicated to workers by the subcontractor.  This meeting will be recorded on a prestart meeting form and a copy given to each subcontractor for inclusion in their Pre-start meeting.

Pre-start meeting records may be verified during WHS audits of the subcontractor by HY.  Pre-start meetings conducted by HY are to be recorded.

Where a worker has not attended the daily Pre-start meeting, they must not be allowed to commence work until the minutes of the meeting have been reviewed with the worker and the worker has signed off accordingly.

Toolbox Meetings

A regular Toolbox meeting is to be conducted at site by HY and recorded in HammerTech. Toolbox meetings are a forum for sharing HSE information, including:

• Feedback from the Site WHS Committee meeting
• HSE Incidents
• Observations identified at site
• Specific HSE topics

Toolbox meetings should also be conducted by subcontractors, for example to develop or induct their employees into a Safe Work Method Statement.  Toolbox meeting records may be verified during WHS audits of the subcontractor by HY.

HY Project Team Meetings

HSE information is shared by the Project Manager with HY site team members as part of regular site team meetings. 

HY Project Team Meetings may be conducted with HY Project Team Members to discuss significant project information, including but not limited to:

• HSE information:
  • Incidents/accidents on site
  • Meeting minutes or outputs from activities (i.e. WHS Committee minutes, Workers Insights)
  • Safety alerts
  • Site safety issues
• Workers Tools outcomes
• Current and upcoming significant works
• Programme
• Quality
• Client requirements
• Procurement
• Design
• Commercial updates
• General Business

WHS Issue Resolution

WHS issues identified on sites are to be resolved in accordance with the HY WHS/OHS Issue Resolution Process.

Site Notice Board and Induction Room

WHS/OHS information is communicated to workers via the Site Notice Board.  Where appropriate, information can also be displayed in the Induction Room.  Notice boards should be displayed in a prominent location on site or at the site offices.  The information to be displayed includes:

• First Aiders contact details
• Consultation Statement 
• WHS/OHS Committee Constitution (if applicable)
• Current Minutes of the Site WHS/OHS Committee Inspections and Meeting
• WHS/OHS Issue Resolution Procedure
• Site Layout Plan
• Emergency Procedures
• Emergency Contact numbers and details
• Any recent Safety Notices
• HY Policy Poster (to be displayed in the induction room)

Definitions and Abbreviations

HSR – Health and Safety Representative

PCBU – Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking

References

• Work Health & Safety Act 2011 (QLD/NSW) and 2012 (SA/TAS) – Part 5 Consultation, representation and participation
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Victoria) – Part 4 Duty of Employers to Consult, Part 7 Representation of employees
• Work health and safety consultation, cooperation and coordination (Model Code of Practice) May 2018
• Managing psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice July 2022
• Federal Safety Commission (FSC) Audit Criteria – FP3 Whole of Project Consultation

Associated Documents

• WHS Issue Resolution Procedure
• WHS Committee Constitution Template
• Prestart Meeting Record
• Toolbox Meeting Record