The Most Powerful Safety Role in Your Workplace Isn’t Management
Why trained Health and Safety Representatives are critical to compliance, culture, and getting people home safely in Queensland.
Across Queensland workplaces, safety systems are becoming more scrutinised, not less. Regulators are paying closer attention to consultation, due diligence and officer accountability, and businesses are being held to account not just for what is written in their systems, but for how safety actually operates on the ground.
At the centre of this sits one of the most important – and often misunderstood – roles in workplace health and safety: the Health and Safety Representative (HSR).
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), an HSR is an elected representative of a work group with specific powers, protections and responsibilities. Their role is to represent workers on health and safety matters and to act as a formal consultation link between workers and the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU).
HSRs are not supervisors and they are not managers. However, they are legally recognised participants in the safety framework, and when trained and supported properly, they are one of the most effective risk-reduction measures a business can have.
Queensland WHS legislation places a clear duty on PCBUs to consult with workers on matters that affect their health and safety. This includes identifying hazards, assessing risks, making decisions about controls, and reviewing procedures. HSRs are a key mechanism for meeting this obligation. Failing to consult with an elected HSR does not remove responsibility from the PCBU — it increases legal exposure.
The legislation is also explicit about training requirements. Once an HSR is elected, they are entitled to attend approved Health and Safety Representative training. This is not discretionary. The PCBU must allow the HSR to attend, provide paid time to do so, and cover the cost of the training and any reasonable expenses.
In Queensland, the initial requirement is a five-day approved HSR training course. This training equips HSRs with the knowledge and confidence to understand their role, exercise their powers appropriately, participate in consultation and risk management, and engage constructively with management. It also covers the lawful use of enforcement tools, including Provisional Improvement Notices (PINs) and directing unsafe work to cease where there is a serious and immediate risk.
To maintain competence, Queensland HSRs are required to complete refresher training every 12 months. This refresher training ensures HSRs remain up to date with legislative changes, regulator expectations, emerging risks and best practice. From a PCBU perspective, this annual refresher is not simply a compliance exercise — it is a safeguard that ensures the role remains effective and legally sound.
Australian Well Control Centre (AWCC) delivers approved Health and Safety Representative training aligned with Queensland legislation and regulator expectations. The five-day initial course is practical, scenario-based and designed for real workplaces, including high-risk and industrial environments. The annual refresher reinforces capability, updates knowledge and supports both HSRs and PCBUs in meeting their ongoing legal obligations.
For PCBUs, managers and supervisors, trained HSRs should be viewed as a strength, not a challenge to authority. When engaged early, they help identify hazards before incidents occur, improve consultation outcomes, and build trust across teams. Workplaces with active, trained HSRs consistently demonstrate stronger safety culture, better reporting and fewer serious injuries.
For workers elected into the role, training provides clarity, confidence and protection. It ensures HSRs understand not only what their powers are under Queensland law, but how to exercise them responsibly and effectively.
Safety failures rarely occur because people do not care. They occur when risks are normalised, concerns are unheard and consultation is treated as a formality. Health and Safety Representatives exist to prevent that — but only when they are properly trained, supported and genuinely engaged.
In Queensland’s increasingly accountable safety environment, investing in HSR training is not optional. It is a legal requirement, a leadership responsibility, and a critical step in protecting people so they go home safely at the end of every shift.
Book your HSR course here.
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