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Health, safety and security in a co-location

All agencies who are part of a co-location have to meet their health and safety responsibilities to all workers.

Health and safety governance structure

The co-location will need to establish a health and safety committee that includes representatives from each agency.

How health and safety governance is structured for your co-location site will depend on the size and number of agencies in the co-location.

Managing a co-location

Primary duty of care

The Health Safety and Work Act defines a 'person conducting a business or undertaking' (PCBU). In a co-location, the lead agency and all the participating agencies are PCBUs.

A PCBU has a primary duty of care – which means it has the primary responsibility for the health and safety of:

  • its workers
  • any other workers who are influenced or directed by the business.

This means that all the agencies involved in a co-location will need to consult, cooperate and coordinate activities to meet their shared health and safety responsibilities.

Primary duty of care – WorkSafe

Primary duty of care in a co-location

The lead agency has a high level of influence and control over the health and safety of workers at the co-located site. They have a primary duty of care for:

  • the site as a facility
  • the site as a place of work for employees, including their own staff, co-located staff and contractors
  • other people who visit the site, like customers and visitors.

Participating agencies have a moderate level of influence and control over health and safety at the site. They have a primary duty of care:

  • for their own staff
  • to work together with other PCBUs co-located at the site.

This means agreeing arrangements to keep people healthy and safe, and helping maintain building hazard registers.

Specific and ongoing duties that could apply

Depending on what is being managed by a PCBU, there are various obligations to consider.

Managing or controlling facilities

If a PCBU manages or controls workplace facilities, they need to make sure – so far as is reasonably practical – that the workplace, how people enter and exit the workplace, and anything else that may arise from the workplace, does not put anyone’s health and safety at risk.

The lead agency coordinates key factors, with cooperation from participating agencies. Coordinated factors PCBUs need to consider in relation to managing workplace facilities for a co-location site include:

  • health and safety plans
  • health and safety representatives and governance structures
  • health and safety registers
  • emergency preparedness plan
  • incident management plans
  • hazard identification and control
  • notification process for notifiable events
  • health and safety training.

Managing or controlling fixtures, fittings and plant

If a PCBU manages or controls the fixtures, fittings or plant at a workplace, they need to make sure – so far as is reasonably practicable – that the fixtures, fittings and plant do not put anyone’s health and safety at risk.

Providing first aid

A PCBU needs to make sure first aid equipment provided to a site is adequate and appropriate for the functions, scale and operations of the site, and accessible by all workers.

The lead agency provides and maintains first aid equipment. An adequate number of workers must be trained by all agencies to administer first aid, appropriate for the functions, scale and operations of the site, and also accessible by all.

Providing an emergency plan

A PCBU needs to make sure an emergency plan is prepared for the workplace, including evacuation procedures, notifying emergency service organisations, communication procedures, procedure testing and training.

The lead agency needs to develop a coordinated plan for the premises, in consultation with participating agencies.

Health and safety

PCBUs must – so far as reasonably practicable – engage with its workers on health and safety matters that affect workers.

The lead agency coordinates a health and safety committee for co-locations, with representation from each participating agency. For larger co-locations, each PCBU may wish to run separate health and safety representative meetings that are agency specific.

Security

There are two key principles that relate to site security for co-locations.

  • Agencies must take a coordinated security approach to the building. This approach should be informed by the combined security risk of all the agencies located in the building.
  • Control measures and treatments should be in response to the security risk assessment of the combined agencies. These will be met through design or procedure where it’s possible to do so.

This means that co-locating agencies in each site must:

  • follow the Protective Security Requirements (PSR) mandatory requirements
  • understand their own security capability
  • do a site-specific threat and risk assessment before searching for a building
  • choose a lead agency with an adequate security capability maturity level to manage the risk environment at the site
  • have a security strategy and plan in place to prevent security breaches. They must also have immediate response capabilities in the event of security emergencies or critical (life threatening) situations. This should include:
    • common tactics
    • communication capabilities
    • resources
    • technology, and
    • terminology.
  • identify security requirements and establish standard operating procedures. These should be agreed and understood by all agencies on site
  • build in public safety procedures and resources to handle emergency scenarios.

When developing your co-location security design you should also refer to workplace security.

Safety, security and accessibility requirements and guidelines

Security responsibilities

Lead agencies are responsible for coordinating security requirements and responses for the site. As a PCBU, they need to ensure appropriate design and procedural treatments are adequate for the site.

Participating agencies must tell the lead agency about any activities that could affect the safety of other agency employees. The lead agency can then manage them as part of the site’s security plan.

All agencies are required to work together throughout the project to ensure security measures meet their needs.

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