Architects as designers are committed to improved occupational health and safety (OHS) outcomes through Safe Design approaches. Safe Design processes integrate hazard identification and risk assessment early in the building procurement process.
The Australian Institute of Architects (the Institute) strongly believes that the recent focus on the effect of ‘upstream factors’ such as building design on workplace accidents and deaths is based on a fundamental misinterpretation of the available research.
As designers never have ultimate control of the construction process, the Institute argues that some changes to OHS legislation set an impossible standard for designers. Governments must recognise that many parties share Safe Design responsibilities and that legal obligations must be directly related to the extent of control. Only legislation that creates ‘reasonable and practicable’ obligations will bring about improvements in OHS outcomes through building design.