| OHS Act Section 8. General
duties of employers to their employees. (1)
Every employer shall provide and maintain, as far as is reasonably practicable,
a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of his
employees.
(2) Without derogating from the
generality of an employer's duty under subsection (1), the matters to which
those duties refers include in particular -
(a) the provisions and maintenance of systems of
work, plant and machinery that as far as is reasonably practicable, safe and
without risks to health;
(b) taking such steps as
may be reasonably practicable to eliminate or mitigate any hazard or potential
hazard to the safety or health of employees, before resorting to personal
protective equipment;
(c) making arrangements for ensuring, as far as is
reasonably practicable, the safety and absence of risks to health in connection
with the production, processing, use, handling, storage or transport of articles
or substances;
(d) establishing, as far
as is reasonably practicable, what hazards to the health or safety of persons
are attached to any work which is performed, any article or substance which is
produced, processed, used, handled, stored or transported and any plant or
machinery which is used in his business, and he shall, as far as is reasonably
practicable, further establish what precautionary measures should be taken with
respect to such work, article, substance plant or machinery in order to protect
the health and safety of persons, and he shall provide the necessary means to
apply such precautionary measures; (Risk Assessment).
(e) providing such information, instructions, training
and supervision as may be necessary to ensure, as far as is reasonably
practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees;
(f) as far as is reasonably practicable, not permitting any employee to do any
work or to produce, process, use, handle, store or
transport any article or substance or to operate any plant or machinery, unless
the precautionary measures contemplated in paragraphs (b) and (d); or any other
precautionary measures which may be prescribed, have been taken;
(g) taking all necessary measures to ensure that the
requirements of this Act are complied with by every person in his employment or
on premises under his control where plant or machinery is used;
(h) enforcing such measures as may be necessary in
the interest of health and safety;
(i) ensuring that work is performed and that plant or
machinery is used under the general supervision of a person trained to
understand the hazards associated with it and who have the authority to ensure
that precautionary measures taken by the employer are implemented;
and
(j) causing all employees to be informed regarding
the scope of their authority as contemplated in section 37 (1)(b).
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