This OHS harmonisation act is poised for introduction on January 1, 2012, and will introduce many changes to the way businesses are managed. This online training course will be aimed at company officers, senior managers, and related positions. A company officer is anyone who makes business decisions on a major or minor level, or someone who has the capacity to significantly affect the company’s finances. This grey definition means that even if an employee would not typically consider themselves a “company officer”, the regulator or prosecutor might not necessarily agree.

With the advent of the new OHS laws, company officers can potentially face serious civil and criminal penalties in the event that they breach OHS requirements. Penalties under the WHS Act can potentially cost the business $3 million for ‘Reckless Conduct’ and $600,000 coupled with five years of incarceration for individuals considered to be a Person Conducting Business or Undertaking (PCBU).

AlertForce’s OHS Harmonisation training (http://alertforce.com.au/ohs-training-courses/ohs-harmon …) is nationally accredited (BSBOHS509A Ensure a safe workplace and BSBOHS301B Apply knowledge of OHS in the workplace) and is designed to enhance business protection and give you the skills and knowledge required to keep a business from breaching the WHS act. Awareness only courses are also available. “AlertForce is dedicated to staying up to date with all the requirements once the legislation passes. We will provide all the critical information required in order to ensure the well-being of our clients!” said Brendan Torazzi, AlertForce company founder.

The Officer OHS Harmonisation course covers:

- Legislative Framework under the new Work Health and Safety Act
- Duties of Care
- Compliance and Due Diligence Requirements
- Evidence Certification

Successful participants in the accredited course will be considered legally competent under the government audited guidelines. In the event that a participant faces prosecution it will be up to the regulator or prosecutor to prove guilt by evaluating the steps taken and the effectiveness of the participants’ OHS management system and if reasonable steps were taken by the PCBU to ensure worker safety. By taking this accredited course, participants will have the legitimacy and due diligence knowledge to avoid possible litigation.

AlertForce specialises in delivering fast, competency-based OHS training through interactive short online courses to mitigate risk and health and safety hazards in Australian workplaces.