Sometimes, an unplanned assessment is carried out in response to health and safety concerns or an incident happening. This could be at any time, with or without managers or owners being there.

Assessments often occur in workplaces in high-risk industries like agriculture, forestry, construction, and manufacturing.

Why assessments are important

Assessments allow WorkSafe to ensure that businesses are meeting their obligations under health and safety law. This includes employers, managers, owners, and workers.

Inspectors are trained to educate and engage with businesses about health and safety matters. They look out for ways to help people and businesses keep themselves, and workers, safe. Inspectors also learn more about specific work practices through assessments.

Assessments give businesses and workers the opportunity to show how they identify and manage risks, and you can get information and resources from our inspectors to help make improvements.

What’s involved in an assessment

There are four key parts to an assessment, although this can change depending on the industry, complexity of the workplace, or the type of work being done at the time.

Conversation

The inspector will discuss why they are there, what they are wanting to learn. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions. If there’s something you’re not sure about, ask us.

Learning what your business does, how it operates, and how risks are identified and managed is an important part of an assessment.

As well as talking to the manager or owner, we’ll also talk to a worker to get a better understanding of how health and safety risks are managed in practice and how they’re involved in health and safety as a worker.  

Observation

 After speaking with you, the inspector will want to walk with you around the workplace. They’ll also take notes of their observations and may take photos.

They’ll be looking at:

• how workers and visitors are kept healthy and safe in the workplace
• how you make sure those processes are effective
• how everyone that works there contributes to good health and safety
• how your business works with others (for example contractors) to make sure the risks you both bring are managed
• what training people get to make sure they know how to do their tasks safely
• how you make sure equipment is safe to use
• what personal protective equipment (PPE) is supplied, and how you make sure it is used
• how chemicals, fuels, and other hazardous substances are safely stored, used, and managed.

The inspector will check that the information they’ve learned during their conversations matches what’s actually happening day to day.  

Most of the time, we can’t look at everything so our assessments will be targeted. Our assessments are generally focused on worker involvement in health and safety and the top causes of harm in each sector. For our priority sectors, these include:

Agriculture:

• Working in and around vehicles, machinery, and plant.
• The storage and use of hazardous substances.

Construction:

• Falls from height.
• Working in and around vehicles, machinery, and plant.
• Exposure to hazardous substances, such as silica, wood dust, welding fumes, and asbestos.

Forestry:

• Working in and around vehicles, machinery, and plant.
• Safe tree felling practice.
• Being hit by falling objects.

Manufacturing:

• Working in and around vehicles, machinery, and plant.
• Falls from height, including being hit by falling objects.
• Exposure to hazardous substances, such as silica, wood dust, welding fumes.

Examination

The inspector will go into more detail if the assessment raises concerns.

Speaking with workers, as well as a manager or business owner isn’t to test people, or to place blame – it's about getting a better understanding of health and safety at each workplace. Inspectors want to understand how workers are involved, because it’s key to good health and safety.

We might ask a worker to demonstrate a work activity, such as showing how a certain piece of machinery is operated, to get a better understanding of the risk or how a risk is managed.

Documentation 

The inspector might ask for documents about health and safety processes. Their focus is on whether the systems and records support good health and safety practice. For example, licences, or health and safety risk registers.

Things to remember about WorkSafe assessments

If an inspector is doing an assessment at your workplace

• An assessment doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has made a complaint, or that there is something wrong.
• Inspectors aren’t there to make work harder without cause or hand out fines simply because they can. Inspectors want to work with businesses to help keep people healthy, safe, and well.

If enforcement activity is needed

• Enforcement activity might be required if health and safety risks are identified. For example, a directive letter or improvement notice. This lets you know what improvements must be made. 
• The inspector will work with you to make sure you have the information you need to help you meet your responsibilities. 

During an assessment

• Businesses and workers should go about their work as they usually would during an assessment.
• Questions should be answered openly and honestly.
• It’s helpful to have information and documentation about your health and safety practices handy.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for more information if you don’t understand. You can also ask about resources and guidance.

For more information

Our regulatory approach policy sets out our approach to assessments and how they support WorkSafe to achieve its targets. This policy is not intended to be prescriptive in its application, but guides inspectors in their assessment activities.