Education and training
Businesses engaged in this industry normally provide education and training from preschool through to university level education, and adult and community classes and programs. They might be public or privately-owned schools, colleges, technical colleges, training centres and universities.
Top causes of injury
The most common causes of injury include:
- manual handling and repetitive movement eg typing, lifting or moving objects
- stress eg from work demands, harassment, bullying
- slips, trips and falls
- injuries caused by aggressive and unpredictable people, including students.
Common hazards
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 education and training industry, including:
- lifting heavy objects
- alcohol and other drugs
- psychological stress
- fatigue.
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.
SafeWork Australia also has a fact sheet on developing a hazardous chemicals register.
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
- information for young workers
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.
Our mentor program, where other businesses work with you to improve safety in your workplace, is also a valuable addition to your risk management program.
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 group.
There are specific organisations that teachers, educators and support staff can join to receive industrial and WHS assistance. In NSW, these are:
- public school teachers, the NSW Teachers Federation
- private and independent school teachers, the Independent Education Union of Australia (IEU)
- university teachers and trainers, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU)
- vocational and community college teachers and educators, including TAFE workers, the Australian Education Union (AEU).
For principals and school management:
- NSW Secondary Principals’ Council for secondary public schools
- NSW Secondary Deputy Principals’ Association Inc.
- NSW Primary Principals’ Association for primary public schools
- Association of Independent Schools of NSW
- Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia
- Australian Primary Principals Association for all primary school principals
- Association of Catholic School Principals NSW.
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 education and training industry from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).