Changes to Self-insured work health and safety standards and guidance notes

Changes to Self-insured work health and safety standards and guidance notes

ReturnToWorkSA have completed the consultation for the Self-insured WHS standards and guidance notes for private self-insurers and the final draft is available on our website. We would like to thank all who engaged in the consultation sessions and provided feedback.

We received detailed feedback from Self-insurers and Unions and have engaged further with stakeholders to further understand this before making final changes.

Key changes as a result of the consultation are:

• Affirming that evaluations against the standards will include physical inspections of work locations (as is current practice). Also referencing this as potential evidence where relevant throughout.
• Strengthening requirements to communicate elected health and safety representatives (HSR) or the right to have HSRs to workers. Also to ensure HSRs are included in consultation.
• Including reference to ‘management’ in Responsibility and accountability. Adding ‘management’ to the Glossary.
• Adding more detail to ensure ongoing provision of information to workers and other relevant parties.
• Expanding requirements for an employer’s responsiveness to workers who raise and escalate WHS concerns.
• Clarification on the expectations for the reference to resourcing for hazard identification, evaluation and control.
• Removing requirement for all incidents to be investigated but adding requirements for appropriate and documented methodology to assess severity and frequency.

A tracked change version of the updates that have been made is attached for ease of reference. Some feedback received aligns more closely with our practice guideline and code of conduct that will be considered in the review next year.

We welcome any final feedback on the changes by 22 January 2025 via selfinsured@rtwsa.com

Following this we will make the final version available on our website. Employers will be provided until 30 June 2025 to update systems and implement changes. Claims reviewed at evaluation will be assessed against the requirements applicable at that point in time although existing legislative requirements will not change.

We understand that training and implementation needs may vary, however we believe this is an appropriate timeframe. Evaluators will consider reasonable submissions to seek an extension of the grace period for certain sub-elements where appropriate rationale is provided.

We acknowledge that some employers are currently assessed against the National self-insurer OHS management system audit tool (version 3) which aligns to the superseded AS/ANZ 4801. The future expectation is that all self-insurers transition to compliance with the new standard although we appreciate a longer transition period may need to be agreed with your Evaluator in these cases.