Administrative and support services
Businesses in this industry perform support activities for the day-to-day operations of other businesses or organisations.
These activities include:
- office administration
- hiring and placing personnel for others
- preparing documents
- taking orders for clients by telephone
- providing credit reporting or collecting services
- arranging travel and travel tours.
Other types of support services covered under this industry are:
- building and other cleaning services
- pest control services
- gardening services
- packaging products for others.
Top causes of injury
There are a vast range of activities and workplaces within this industry. Each workplace presents its own safety challenges.
For administrative workers, the industry common causes of injuries include:
- repetitive motion injuries
- slips, trips and falls
- muscle strains
- stress
- aggression and violence (front desk and telephone)
- bullying.
For workers involved in front line work, the industry common causes of injuries include:
- violence and aggression
- fire and explosion
- electric shock
- falls
- being hit by objects.
Common hazards
Significantly, office and desk-based activities feature across all areas of this industry. Sedentary work, sitting at a desk, can be detrimental to both workers wellbeing and general health. These negatives can impact their focus on working safely.
Each workplace is different though. You need to know what the hazards are in your business so you can assess the risk they pose.
To help you get started, we’ve prepared information on how to identify hazards and manage the risks common to the administrative and support industry, including:
- sedentary work
- sprains and strains from repetitive movements
- workplace bullying
- workplace facilities
- electric shock
- traffic control
- aggressive public (both physical and verbal)
- fire
- falling objects
- access and egress from a site
- hot and cold environments
- fatigue
- personal protective equipment
- alcohol and drugs.
Resources to help you
As the work health and safety regulator in NSW, we have a wide range of technical, business, management and support services to help you make our business safe.
Our 'resource' and 'hazard' libraries
Our resource library and hazard library is where you will find up-to-date information on managing hazards and risks as well as codes of practice.
We also have extensive information that will help you improve and review your risk management processes. This includes videos, checklists, training and supervisory information, and safety alerts.
Our safety management resources
Our Safety starts here section has a range of essential resources including:
- business must haves like emergency plans and first aid
- the basics for physical safety at work
- the basics for mental health at work
Our business resources
Our safety support services
If you employ fewer than 50 workers, you can book request a workplace advisory visit by one of our SafeWork inspectors who will help you identify hazards and develop risk management procedures.
You can call us on 13 10 50 at any time for assistance in finding the services you need quickly.
Keeping up to date
Get into the habit of checking our website twice a week for updates on your legislative obligations, on current incidents and prosecutions, for new safety tips and general health and safety information.
Link your business to our social media channels including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and never miss any of our news.
Subscribe to the SafeWork Wrap, our monthly newsletter, which contains safety tips, general information, industry updates, and news about our prosecutions and enforceable undertakings.
Subscribe to industry publications and join your industry groups. For workers, these include the Australian Services Union (ASU) and the Public Service Association of NSW (PSA). For employers, the Australian Federation of Employers and Industries (AFEI) will assist you.
Legislation
The NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) and the NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (WHS Regulation) define the obligations both employers and workers have to health and safety in the workplace.
The WHS legislation is supported by our Compliance policy and prosecution guidelines, which supplements the National compliance and enforcement policy.
You can find a complete breakdown of business operations that fall within the administrative and support services industry from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).