Workers have health and safety obligations and play an important role in helping to keep a workplace healthy and safe.

A worker is any person who carries out work for a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WHS Act). This includes:

• an employee
• a contractor
• a subcontractor
• a self-employed person
• an outworker who works away from their employer’s premises
• an apprentice or trainee
• a work experience student
• an employee of a labour-hire company placed with the host employer
• a volunteer.

Duties as a worker 

While at work, you must take reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions or omissions. You must also:

• follow any reasonable instructions from the PCBU to help them comply with WHS laws
• follow any reasonable health or safety policies or procedures that the PCBU has informed you about.

Duties of others at the workplace

Similar duties apply to other persons at a workplace. Any person at a workplace, including customers and visitors, should look after their own health and safety and ensure their actions don’t harm others. They must also make every endeavour to follow any reasonable instructions from the PCBU to meet WHS laws.