Other agreed arrangements are flexible alternatives for establishing agreed consultation arrangements that meet your business needs and improve decision making, especially where there is no health and safety representative (HSR) or health and safety committee (HSC).
Some workplaces may need a mix of HSRs, HSCs and / or other agreed consultation arrangements tailored to suit the workers and the work environment.
It may be more effective and meaningful to have an alternative arrangement for consultation if workers travel frequently or the business is small.
Other agreed arrangements for consultation on health and safety matters could be through:
- regular scheduled meetings
- team meetings (where work health and safety is always an agenda item)
- one-off meetings
- tool box talks
- face to face discussions
- briefing sessions.
Though other agreed arrangements do not need to be in a formal process, they must be planned and developed in consultation with workers.
All consultation arrangements must be consistent with your legal duties under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act)
Checklist for setting up other agreed arrangements
The person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU - the new term that includes employers) must:
- consult with the workers on how consultation will occur and explain the various mechanisms that are available
- agree on how consultation will take place. The nature of consultation must be consistent with requirements under section 48 of the WHS Act including ensuring information is shared and workers are given a reasonable opportunity to contribute
- set up a plan to ensure consultation occurs as required under section 49 of the WHS Act
- set up consultation procedures and ensure they are discussed and reinforced regularly. A small workplace may choose informal agreed procedures, whereas a large workplace would require documented procedures
- regularly monitor and review the consultation procedures to ensure they are the most effective form of consultation.
Call 13 10 50 for more information on other arrangements for consultation.