Develop and implement a strategy to support a positive WHS culture

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to support the development of a strategy that embeds and promotes a just work health and safety (WHS) culture in a workplace. It includes facilitating workforce commitment to implementation and continuous improvement of the strategy, specifically from those in leadership positions. It also involves supporting organisational learning and development to strengthen the WHS culture in the workplace.

The unit applies to those responsible for directly supporting the development of workplace WHS culture.

NOTES

1. For the purposes of this unit of competency ‘WHS culture’ is defined as the shared values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organisation’s health and safety management. Organisations with a just WHS culture are characterised by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety, and by confidence in the efficacy of preventive measures.

2. The terms ‘occupational health and safety’ (OHS) and ‘work health and safety’ (WHS) are equivalent, and generally either can be used in the workplace. In jurisdictions where model WHS laws have not been implemented, registered training organisations (RTOs) are advised to contextualise this unit of competency by referring to existing WHS legislative requirements.

3. The model WHS laws include the model WHS Act, model WHS Regulations and model WHS Codes of Practice. See Safe Work Australia for further information.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.