Workplace health and safety

Employees have obligations to look out for their safety and the safety of others at work. You must follow any reasonable instructions, policy or procedure from your employer.

Your employer has legal obligations to under work health and safety laws to make your workplace safe. This includes your physical and mental health and safety.

Your employer must either:

• eliminate risks to health and safety as far as reasonably practicable, or
• if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks to health and safety, to minimise the risks as much as reasonably practicable. 

Even if you work remotely, your employer still has responsibilities to manage your health and safety.

If you notice something unsafe at work, you can:

• speak to your supervisor or manager
• follow any procedures your employer has about reporting workplace hazards
• speak to the health and safety representative at your workplace
• speak to your union representative (if you are part of a union)
• make a complaint to SafeWork NSW, if you can’t solve the problem using any of the steps above. You can report this anonymously through the Speak Up Save Lives app.

SafeWork NSW can investigate and prosecute workplace health and safety issues. 

For information about compensation if you have been injured at work, see Workers compensation.