Architecture & Access assists architects and designers, engineers, building owners and other professionals involved in the design, construction and management of workplaces to meet their obligations under the law.

In-house expertise includes workplace health & safety, architecture, design, construction, access consulting, project management, ergonomics, home modification, education and training.

This unique capacity enables our clients to tailor and value-add services to fulfill the safety and accessibility objectives of their project.
Our OHS services may cover:

OHS risk management

OHS Risk Management is the foundation of effective OHS management.

By law, employers must provide a safe working environment for their workers, as far as is reasonably practicable. Employers must also protect the safety of other people who may be exposed to risks as the result of an employer’s business.

People managing or controlling a workplace are also responsible for ensuring that the area under their control is safe and without risks to health.

This includes entrances and exits and includes members of the public as well as employees.

Our services focus on highlighting hazards, assessing risks, recommending controls and evaluating processes to ensure safety is integral to design throughout the life cycle of a building.

Our risk assessment approach is useful for providing alternative solutions where materials, components or construction methods differ from those described in codes and standards and create a safety risk for workers or members of the public

Safety in Design specialists

Qualified consultants specialise in Safety in Design implementation in line with the Work Heath and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) and Regulations and state-based OHS laws.

Services include:

Understanding your Safety in Design obligations

Safety in Design is a key principle of workplace health & safety laws considering safety at the building design stage, assessing any hazards and implementing solutions to ensure safety throughout the life of the building.

Safety in Design may consider excavation, demolition, electrical works, maintenance, environmental factors, hazardous substances and dangerous goods, ergonomics, refurbishment, working at height, traffic factors, workplace health & safety impacts, and other areas as required.

Architecture & Access consultants have up-to-date knowledge of the duties imposed by work health & safety laws of a range of professions to ensure health and safety in relation to residential and commercial building developments, particularly:

Architects and designers

Under the WHS Act and Regulations and OHS laws, architects and designers have a duty to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that the structure to be designed is without risk at any time when used as a workplace.

Architects and designers can fulfill this duty by ensuring that the structure is designed to eliminate or minimise the need for any hazardous work to be carried out, and giving each person involved with the design relevant information about features that eliminate the need for such work to be carried out.

This process also involves a systematic risk assessment process of testing, analysis and consultation with the design team, workers and people commissioning the design. The designer must also produce a safety report for the people commissioning the design regarding the specific hazards relating to the design of the structure.

Building owners, employers and managers of workplaces

Under the WHS Act and Regulations and OHS laws, the person who commissions new work or renovation of an existing structure, must consult with the designer to ensure that any risks to work health & safety arising from the design during the construction work are eliminated or minimised.

If the project is a new or refurbished workplace, the person commissioning the project must also consult with the workers at the planning stage to ascertain any possible effects on their health & safety posed by the new design and provide this information to the designer.

Diagram of Safety in Design process

Height safety

Falls are a major cause of injury and death in Australian workplaces. Fall hazards are found in many workplaces where work is carried out at height including on roof areas, on large plant and on building facades. Falls can also occur at ground level into holes, pits or trenches.

A person conducting a business or undertaking has a duty to ensure a safe workplace.

Designers also have a responsibility to design structures or plant that is safe for the people who will be using the structure or plant or those who will be affected by the structure or plant.

Designers also have an important role in eliminating or minimising the risk of falls in the design stage.

In order to assist designers meet their obligations, Architecture & Access are able to provide the following:

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is concerned with the understanding of the interaction between humans and their environment, optimising human well-being and improving overall system performance by ensuring that the workplace, products and systems fit the people who use them.

Workplaces can help prevent injuries by incorporating ergonomic principals into workplace design.

An ergonomic design review will ensure that workstations are designed according to ergonomic principles and will provide our clients with clear recommendations that consider all relevant legislation, codes of practice and Australian Standards.

Our workplace health & safety consultants provide comprehensive support to create safe and healthy workplaces and prevent injuries.

Our services include:

Contact us for a conversation about your requirements.

Professional development

Architecture & Access can provide in-house and project-specific training to equip designers, construction professionals, building owners and workplace managers with knowledge and skills on WHS obligations and Safety in Design.