The Diocesan Finance and Property Council has recently considered its
responsibilities under the Workplace Health and Safety Act (1995) with
regard to smoking in the workplace. The following sections of the Workplace
Health and Safety Act seem most relevant:
Obligations of employers:
28. (1) An employer has an obligation to ensure the workplace health and
safety of each of the employer's workers at work.
(2) Also, an employer has an obligation to ensure his or her own workplace
health and safety and the workplace health and safety of others is not
affected by the way the employer conducts the employer's undertaking.
Obligations of workers and other persons at a workplace:
36. A worker or anyone else at a workplace has the following obligations at
a workplace;
(a) to comply with the instructions given for workplace health and safety at
the workplace by the employer at the workplace and, if the workplace is a
construction workplace, the principal contractor for workplace health and
safety at the workplace.
(d) not to wilfully place at risk the workplace health and safety of any
person at the workplace;
(e) not to wilfully injure himself or herself.
In consideration of the above requirements of the Workplace Health and
Safety Act (1995) it was decided to adopt a policy on behalf of the Roman
Catholic Trust Corporation for the Diocese of Townsville that:
This Policy regarding NO SMOKING IN THE WORKPLACE is to be brought to the
attention of all Diocesan employees and volunteers, and will be monitored by
the Diocesan Workplace Health and Safety Officer.
This Policy will be effective from 1 March 1997.
DIOCESAN SECRETARY