Question 1

Do I need to comply with WHS laws if I only have one or two employees?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every Australian business has legal safety obligations, whether you employ one person or a hundred. There is no small-business exemption from the core duties.

Question 2

What is a PCBU?

Accepted Answer

PCBU stands for 'person conducting a business or undertaking' — the term Australian WHS law uses instead of 'employer', because your safety duties apply whether the people working for you are employees, contractors, subcontractors, or volunteers. Almost every business is a PCBU.

Question 3

Is Victoria's workplace safety law different from other Australian states?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Victoria uses its own system called OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, rather than the harmonised WHS model most other states and territories have adopted. The underlying duties are broadly similar, but the terminology, specific regulations, and regulator (WorkSafe Victoria) are Victoria's own.

Question 4

What should I do if a notifiable incident happens at my workplace?

Accepted Answer

Report it to your regulator as soon as you become aware, and preserve the incident site until an inspector arrives or directs otherwise — the only real exceptions are helping an injured person, removing a body with police authority, preventing a further notifiable incident, or with the regulator's own permission. If there's any real doubt about whether something counts as notifiable, report it anyway, or call your regulator and ask.

Small Business Safety Hub