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The work environment includes:

• the physical work environment, including lighting, ventilation, dust, heat and noise
• the psychological work environment, including overcrowding, deadlines, work arrangements (e.g. the effects of shift-work and overtime arrangements), and impairments that affect a person’s behaviour, such as work-related stress and fatigue, and drugs and alcohol)

• ‘Plant’ includes machinery, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment (including personal protective equipment), appliances, containers, implements, tools, any component of one of these items or anything fitted or connected to one of these items
• ‘Structure’ means anything that is constructed. It can be fixed, movable, temporary, or permanent and includes any component or part of a structure. The following are examples of structures: buildings, masts, towers, frameworks, pipelines, quarries, bridges, and underground works (including shafts and tunnels)

Developing a safe system of work is a formal procedure carried out by a person with sufficient knowledge and experience. It involves:

• the systematic examination of a task to identify risks that may arise from carrying it out
• the identification of safe methods, including control measures to eliminate or minimise the identified risks
• the setting of methods to safely carry out the task

Developing safe systems of work can involve looking at the physical layout of the workplace and its access and egress, tools, plant, procedures and people (e.g. instruction, information, training). Safe work methods can be formalised for risky work using a permit-to-work system. Systems of work should be reviewed regularly and updated as appropriate.

PCBUs must, so far as is reasonably practicable, make sure that plant, structures, and substances are safely used, handled and stored.

PCBUs must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide adequate facilities (that are clean, safe, accessible, in good working order and maintained to stay that way) for the welfare of workers.

PCBUs must, so far as is reasonably practicable, make sure that their workers and others are provided training, information, instruction or supervision to protect them from risks to health and safety. The type of training, instruction or supervision required will depend on the nature of the work carried out and the experience of the workers, and the risk that workers and others, such as clients and customers, are exposed to.

Exposure to certain hazards can injure workers or make them ill. This can include exposure to:

• airborne contaminants such as dust, fibres, fumes
• chemicals that can make people ill after breathing in, getting on their skin, or eating or drinking them
• biological hazards such as bacteria, viruses or fungi
• physical hazards such as noise, vibrations, UV radiation, heat
• ergonomic hazards such as repetitive motions and eye strain

A PCBU must, so far as is reasonably practicable, monitor its workers’ health and the workplace conditions. Monitoring is not a control measure to manage risk and does not replace the need for control measures to reduce exposure. Results from monitoring should be used to improve control measures where needed.