When you are on a Body Corporate Committee, you may not realise it, but you are running a business! You are managing levy funds, hiring contractors, directing workers, and more!
All business owners have legal obligations under The Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Ignoring these responsibilities can personally cost you tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
The good news is you can protect yourself and your committee with one simple (and inexpensive step).
To satisfy all legal requirements, your Body Corporate needs to show it has identified and addressed any workplace risks. The best and most cost-effective way to do this is to have an annual Work Health and Safety inspection and Report by a qualified person holding a Certificate IV in Workplace Health and Safety.
A Work Health and Safety Inspector is trained to identify the risks around your body corporate and make recommendations on how to reduce or eliminate them.
The result of ignoring this obligation can be devastating. If the Body Corporate is found to have engaged in conduct that recklessly exposes a person to a risk of death, serious injury or illness, (or fails to comply with it’s Work Health and Safety Duty), it is considered by law to be a criminal offence and can attract fines anywhere between $50,000 and $3million.