There are four different options for completing Responsible Officer training.

Class Attendance | Online Learning | One-on-one Mentoring | Self Paced

The OHS&W Act of South Australia requires every body corporate to nominate a Responsible Officer.

Has your business appointed one? If so, have they had training in their OHS&W responsibilities?

What is a Body Corporate?

A typical meaning of body corporate for OHS&W purposes would be, ‘a registered company or association’. Broadly, this would mean a ‘registrable legal entity other than a natural person’. An example may be a Proprietary Limited, Limited or Incorporated company.

Who is a Responsible Officer?

In simple terms the Responsible Officer is usually a Director, Business Owner, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director or General Manager. It is the most senior person from the body corporate who resides in the state and is in a position to prevent a contravention of the OHS&W Act 1986 (the Act).

The Responsible Officer is the person accountable for safety across the whole organisation. If an employee is hurt or seriously injured in your workplace, the final responsibility lies with the Responsible Officer.

According to the Act, the Responsible Officer must be;

• a member of the governing body of the body corporate who resides in the State; or
• the chief executive officer of the body corporate, who resides in the State; or
• if no one is eligible for appointment under the preceding paragraph – a senior executive officer of the body corporate who resides in the State; or an officer of the body corporate.

Who is not required to attend Responsible Officer training?

• Sole traders
• Government department Responsible Officers
• Health and Safety Representatives
• Middle level management and supervisors (these people implement the decisions of senior management, but they are not the Responsible Officer).

Training is compulsory

As of 15 August 2005 changes to the Act were implemented to include new provisions which require training for Responsible Officers. It is now compulsory for all Responsible Officers to undertake training to understand their role.

• You are a body corporate
• You engage paid employees or volunteers
• The appointed Responsible Officer/s have not yet attended Responsible Officer training
• You attended Responsible Officer training prior to 1 January 2003