Australia Model Code of Practice Managing the Risks of Biological Hazards at Work 2.5-DUTYHOLDERS: Consult, cooperate and coordinate with every other duty holder sharing a biological hazard matter, each retaining responsibility to the extent of its influence and control, exchanging information, settling who does what and working together, including on shared consultation of labour hire or contractor workers

What does 2.5-DUTYHOLDERS require?

Sections 16 and 46 of the WHS Act recognise that several people can owe a duty over the same matter at the same time, because they share work activities or share premises such as a shopping centre or a construction site. Each keeps its own responsibility to the extent of its influence and control, and all of them must consult, cooperate and coordinate with one another as far as is reasonably practicable. Where a duty is shared, each party should swap information, establish who is handling which obligation, and work together so that the risks are removed or reduced. A hospital and the laundry contractor working inside it both owe the contractor's staff a duty of care, so both must consult those staff and should coordinate how they do it. In the law firm example, a tenant who knows that neglected heating, ventilation and air conditioning can harbour biological hazards checks the lease, asks the building manager when the system was last serviced, and cooperates with the owner's arrangements for the technician's visit.