Safe design

  • As a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you have a duty to consider safe design in the workplace.

Safe design means the integration of control measures early in the design process to eliminate or, if this is not reasonably practicable, minimise risks to health and safety throughout the lifecycle of the product being designed.

Buildings, structures, machinery and equipment, tools and vehicles all need safe design to protect the people who use them from getting sick or injured.

Safe design starts at the concept phase, when a PCBU is deciding and identifying:

  • design and intended purpose
  • materials
  • how someone will build, maintain, operate, demolish, dismantle or dispose of the thing being designed, and
  • legislation, codes of practice and standards it will need to comply with.

Everyone in the workplace has WHS duties under the Model WHS Act. You have specific duties if you are:

  • a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU).
  • a designer, manufacturer, importer, supplier and installer of plant, substances or structures.
  • an officer.

The Model WHS Regulations outline duties that apply to safe design. This includes specific requirements for the design of plant and a person who commissions construction work. For further information see: 

Managing risks with buildings

WHS laws cover worker health and safety in design. If you design or make decisions on buildings and structures, you should also check:

  • The Building code of Australia - which has minimum standards on ensuring occupants' health and safety.
  • Standards Australia - government agencies and relevant professional bodies who produce technical design standards and guidelines.

  • Did you know

    The WHS regulator in your state or territory can provide practical advice, resources and tools to help you be safe when working in construction. They can also let you know which WHS laws apply to you.