Workplace management

Workplace management is about ensuring everyone is inducted into the school about health and safety, that emergency planning exists, and that there is a positive culture about health and safety.

The resources on this page have been developed in collaboration with the Sector Reference Group.

Keep reading to learn more.

The responsibilities of your board are to exercise due diligence to ensure the PCBU complies with its duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015open_in_new.

What is a PCBU?

A PCBU is a “person conducting a business or undertaking,” usually a legal or corporate entity.

In the case of a kura or school, the board is the PCBU, and the board members are officers of the PCBU.

As board members (and officers of the PBCU), you have considerable influence over ensuring that everything reasonably practicable is done to keep everyone healthy and safe.

The role of the PCBU is a crucial role defined by the law.

How can you show leadership in this area?

Leadership relating to health and safety can be best summarised using the three C’s:

Cooperation – the action of working together to achieve positive outcomes around health and safety.
Consultation – the process of formally discussing and collaborating on health and safety.
Communication – the effective exchange of health and safety information.

What is a workplace?

In education, a workplace is where work is carried out for a school.

It includes any place where a worker goes or is likely to be at work, including classrooms, the school grounds, vehicles, remote locations, and some education outside the classroom (EOTC) activities where the school is in control, such as excursions and school camps.

What is workplace management?

In the context of health and safety, workplace management means:

Ensuring every person has an appropriate induction into the workplace, whether they are a worker or other person such as a visitor, parent, student, volunteer, etc.
Ensuring an emergency plan is in place for the workplace.
Developing and encouraging a health and safety culture in the workplace.

Why is induction necessary?

Induction familiarises people new to the workplace with the health and safety requirements.

Your board must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that it provides any information, training, instruction, or supervision necessary to protect everyone from risks to their health and safety arising from work carried out by and at the school.

Everyone entering the workplace for the first time should receive induction training appropriate to their circumstances.

For example, new workers should receive an in-depth induction. In contrast, other people, such as visitors, typically receive induction training covering the risks they are likely to encounter and what to do in an emergency.

Questions your board could ask

How do we show leadership in the area of health and safety?
Do we have a positive culture about the importance of health and safety?
Is an induction process in place for both staff and visitors?
Is our board assured that there is an emergency plan in place for the workplace?

Templates, resources, and references

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