Health and Safety
Policy
Test Medical Centre Cornerstone is responsible for looking after the health and safety of staff, patients, visitors, and others who may be affected by our operations. We prioritise health, safety, and welfare, and promote a culture of continuous health and safety improvement, to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
We take all 
reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of workers, and engage with workers to ensure that our health and safety policies and procedures are robust.
Definition
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (s 22), "reasonably practicable" has a specific meaning. A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers, and that other persons are not put at risk by its work.
Risks that arise from work must be eliminated "so far as is reasonably practicable". If a risk can’t be eliminated, it must be minimised "so far as is reasonably practicable". This means that we:
- identify risks
- consider how likely risks are
- take appropriate action that is proportionate to the injury or illness that could occur
- implement well-known and effective sector practices
- involve staff in identifying and controlling risks.
See Meaning of reasonably practicable (Health and Safety at Work Act 2015) and Reasonably practicable (WorkSafe)
Health and safety duties
Everyone is responsible for health and safety at Test Medical Centre Cornerstone. This includes owners/management, staff, patients, whānau, and visitors. We acknowledge our shared responsibility for health, safety, and welfare requirements, and promote practice-wide engagement with health and safety policies and procedures.
The Health and Safety at Work Act defines different types of duty holders within a workplace, and outlines health and safety responsibilities for each type of duty holder.
Types of duty holder at Test Medical Centre Cornerstone:
- Duty of PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking)
Explanation
As the PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking), the organisation responsible for operating the practice has a primary duty of care for everyone at Test Medical Centre Cornerstone (Health and Safety at Work Act, s 36). The organisation is likely to be a company, sole trader, or trust.
This means the organisation must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable:
- the health and safety of workers (staff, allied health professionals, volunteer workers, and contractors)
- that the health and safety of others who may be affected by our practice's operations (including patients, whānau, and visitors) is not put at risk.
The organisation ensures, as far as is reasonably practicable, that it provides and maintains:
- a work environment that is without risks to health and safety
- safe plant and structures (e.g. general equipment and appliances, vehicles, furniture and fittings, tools, safety, and cleaning equipment)
- safe systems of work.
The organisation also ensures, as far as is reasonably practicable:
- the safe use, handling, and storage of plant, substances, and structures
- adequate facilities (including access to the facilities) for the welfare of workers
- information, training, instruction, and supervision to protect everyone from risks to health and safety arising from our operations
- the monitoring of worker health and workplace conditions to prevent injury or illness arising from our operations.
See Health and Safety at Work Act Subpart 2 – Duties of PCBUs
The organisation responsible for operating the practice, e.g. the company, sole trader, or trust.
- Duties of officers
Explanation
As officers under the Health and Safety at Work Act, people with governance or decision-making capability, (e.g. directors, trustees, or partners) must exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBU complies with its health and safety duties and obligations.
This means those individuals must take reasonable steps to:
- know and keep up-to-date about health and safety matters at the practice
- understand of the operations of the practice and the hazards and risks generally associated with its activities
- ensure the practice has appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks relating to its operations
- ensure there are processes for receiving and responding in a timely way to information about incidents, hazards, and risks
- ensure the practice has and implements processes for complying with any duty or obligations it holds under the Health and Safety at Work Act
- verify that the resources and processes referred to above are in place and being used.
See Health and Safety at Work Act Subpart 3 – Duties of officers, workers, and other persons
People with governance or decision-making authority, e.g. directors, trustees, or partners.
- Duties of workers
Definition
Everyone who works at the practice, including employees (clinical and non-clinical), volunteer workers, and contractors, is expected to:
- take reasonable care for their own health and safety
- take reasonable care that their behaviour does not adversely affect the health and safety of other people
- comply, as far as they are reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction given by the practice to allow the practice to comply with their legislative and regulatory obligations
- cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure the practice has in place relating to health or safety during its operations.
See Health and Safety at Work Act Subpart 3 – Duties of officers, workers, and other persons
Everyone who works at the practice, including employees (clinical and non-clinical), volunteer workers, and contractors
- Duties of other people at the workplace
Explanation
Patients, whānau, visitors, and casual volunteers are expected to:
- take reasonable care for their own health and safety
- take reasonable care that their behaviour does not adversely affect the health and safety of other people
- comply, as far as they are reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction that is given by the practice to allow the practice to comply with its legislative and regulatory obligations.
See Health and Safety at Work Act Subpart 3 – Duties of officers, workers, and other persons
E.g. patients, whānau, visitors, and casual volunteers
The organisation fulfils its primary duty of care and is responsible for ensuring the premises (i.e. buildings and grounds) are safe at all times. The organisation is also responsible for providing a safe environment during practice-related activities off site (such as outreach clinics).
Explanation
As the PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking), the organisation responsible for operating Test Medical Centre Cornerstone has a primary duty of care for everyone at Test Medical Centre Cornerstone (Health and Safety at Work Act, s 36).
This means the PCBU is primarily responsible for the health and safety of workers (including clinical and non-clinical staff, volunteer workers, and contractors), and others who may be affected by the practice's operations. To meet its primary duty of care, the PCBU does what is reasonably practicable to provide and maintain a safe environment, and works to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks.
Health and Safety at Work Act s 36 – Primary duty of care
Responsibility for day-to-day health and safety management at Test Medical Centre Cornerstone can be delegated by the organisation to other staff members, as outlined in relevant role descriptions. This does not transfer the duties of the organisation, but takes into account the position of certain staff members under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Duties, roles, and responsibilities
Q131
Everyone has a role in keeping people safe. Some roles carry legal duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act, e.g. officers. Other roles have practical responsibilities to manage risks day to day, e.g. coordinators, representatives, or committees.
Explanation
As officers under the Health and Safety at Work Act, people with governance or decision-making capability, (e.g. directors, trustees, or partners) must exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBU complies with its health and safety duties and obligations.
This means those individuals must take reasonable steps to:
- know and keep up-to-date about health and safety matters at the practice
- understand of the operations of the practice and the hazards and risks generally associated with its activities
- ensure the practice has appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks relating to its operations
- ensure there are processes for receiving and responding in a timely way to information about incidents, hazards, and risks
- ensure the practice has and implements processes for complying with any duty or obligations it holds under the Health and Safety at Work Act
- verify that the resources and processes referred to above are in place and being used.
See Health and Safety at Work Act Subpart 3 – Duties of officers, workers, and other persons
Duties, roles, and responsibilities at Test Medical Centre Cornerstone:
- Officer/s – XXXX
- Coordinator – the practice manager
The PCBU engages with workers, and ensures workers have appropriate representation and involvement in health and safety matters.
See Worker Engagement, Participation, and Representation.
Health and safety monitoring and review
The organisation, or their delegate, monitors and reviews health and safety to ensure that health and safety practices are effective and to identify opportunities for improvement:
- Health and Safety is a standing agenda item at clinical governance meetings.
- We check our health and safety systems regularly to ensure policies and procedures are being used and are working well.
- Any strategic or operational goals around health and safety are regularly reviewed.
- We review and update policies and procedures as needed to improve health and safety practices.
Related policies
For details about how we meet health and safety requirements and follow best practice, see:
Also see:
Resources / Further information