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Designers - WHS Duties

Who is a Designer?​

A designer is a person who conducts a business or undertaking that includes designing:

  • Plant (machinery, equipment, appliances, implements, tools)
  • Structures (buildings, bridges, scaffolding, formwork, falsework)
  • Substances (for use at work)

Designers include:

  • Architects
  • Structural engineers
  • Design engineers
  • Product designers
  • Drafters who prepare technical drawings
  • Anyone who specifies materials or methods that affect design

[!note] Broad Definition Anyone who prepares a design or modifies a design is a designer under WHS law, regardless of their job title.

Primary Design Duty​

Designers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the structure, plant, or substance is designed to be without risks to health and safety when:

  • Used for its intended purpose
  • Constructed, installed, or manufactured
  • Properly maintained
  • Decommissioned or disposed of

Specific Design Duties​

1. Eliminate or Minimise Risks​

Designers must eliminate risks or, if that is not reasonably practicable, minimise risks associated with:

For Structures:

  • Construction, installation, commissioning
  • Use for intended purpose
  • Demolition, dismantling, or disposal

Construction Example - Pre-fabrication: Designing building components to be assembled at ground level eliminates fall risks during construction. Instead of workers installing trusses at height, complete roof sections can be lifted into place by crane after ground-level assembly.

Construction Example - Permanent Edge Protection: Designing buildings with integrated permanent edge protection (parapets, guardrails) eliminates fall risks during construction and future maintenance work.

For Plant:

  • Installation, commissioning, and use
  • Cleaning and maintenance access
  • Decommissioning or disposal

Example - Maintenance Access: Designing plant with safe access platforms, walkways, and guardrails eliminates risks when workers perform routine maintenance, cleaning, or inspections.

For Substances:

  • Handling, storage, and use
  • Disposal

2. Test and Analyze​

Designers must carry out, or arrange for others to carry out:

  • Calculations necessary to ensure safety
  • Analysis of the design
  • Testing if necessary to ensure safety

This applies to both new designs and modifications to existing designs.

Construction Example: A structural engineer must calculate load capacities for formwork systems, analyze stress points in temporary bracing, and verify designs meet relevant standards before construction begins.

3. Provide Information​

Designers must give adequate information about:

For the design:

  • Purpose for which the structure/plant/substance was designed
  • Results of calculations, analysis, and testing
  • Conditions necessary for safe use
  • Any foreseeable risks that have not been eliminated

For safe use:

  • How to construct, install, commission, use, maintain, and decommission safely
  • Control measures that must be implemented

Information must be provided to:

  • The person who commissioned the design
  • Any other person prescribed by regulations

Construction Example: An architect designing a building must provide:

  • Structural drawings showing load capacities
  • Specifications for fall protection anchor points
  • Sequence for safe demolition/deconstruction at end of life
  • Hazard warnings for materials requiring special handling

[!important] Information Throughout Lifecycle Design information must support safe work through construction, use, maintenance, and eventual demolition or disposal.

4. Keep Information Current​

If the designer becomes aware that:

  • Additional information is required for safe use
  • The information provided is no longer accurate or sufficient

The designer must, so far as reasonably practicable, provide updated information to relevant persons.

Reasonably Practicable for Designers​

Designers must consider:

  • Likelihood and severity of potential injuries or harm
  • Current knowledge about hazards, risks, and control measures
  • Availability and suitability of safer designs and materials
  • Cost of implementing safer design options (balanced against the risk)

[!tip] Early Design Decisions Most Cost-Effective Incorporating safety in initial design is almost always less expensive than retrofitting controls later or managing risks during construction and use.

Design for Construction Industry​

Safe Design of Structures​

See Safe Design of Structures for detailed guidance on designing buildings and structures for safe construction.

Key Principles:

  1. Eliminate work at heights where possible (prefabrication, ground-level assembly)
  2. Design in permanent safety features (anchor points, guardrails, access platforms)
  3. Consider construction sequence and temporary works requirements
  4. Specify appropriate materials to minimize hazards (e.g., lower silica content)
  5. Design for future maintenance with safe access and work platforms

Construction Example - Roof Design: Instead of designing a complex roof requiring extensive work at height:

  • Design roof sections for ground-level prefabrication
  • Include permanent anchor points for future maintenance
  • Provide safe access to plant and equipment on roof
  • Design parapets to provide permanent edge protection

Scaffolding and Temporary Works Design​

Designers of scaffolding, formwork, and falsework must:

  • Design for intended loads including materials, workers, and equipment
  • Specify safe erection and dismantling sequences
  • Provide clear assembly drawings and instructions
  • Specify inspection and maintenance requirements
  • Consider environmental loads (wind, weather)

Example - Formwork Design: A formwork designer must provide:

  • Drawings showing assembly sequence
  • Load capacity calculations
  • Bracing and tie requirements
  • Inspection points before concrete pouring
  • Dismantling sequence to prevent collapse

Integration with Other Duties​

Designers and Manufacturers​

When designers also manufacture what they design, they have both designer and manufacturer duties.

Designers and Principal Contractors​

Principal contractors must provide designers with relevant information about:

  • Site conditions
  • Work that will be carried out near the structure
  • Any factors that may affect the design

This allows designers to address foreseeable risks in their designs.

Designers and Installers​

Installers rely on design information to safely erect structures and plant. Inadequate design information transfers risk to installers and workers.

Common Design Failings​

[!warning] Design Risks to Avoid

  • No consideration of construction methodology
  • No provision for safe access during construction and maintenance
  • No information about safe construction sequences
  • Inadequate temporary works specifications
  • Failing to specify control measures for hazardous materials
  • Designing work that requires high-risk activities without considering alternatives

Practical Application​

Project: Multi-Story Office Building

Designer Duties Include:

  1. Eliminate risks:

    • Design floor slabs for prefabrication to reduce work at height
    • Specify materials with lower silica content

  2. Design in permanent controls:

    • Roof anchor points for maintenance access
    • Internal access to roof plant rooms
    • Fall protection on balconies and elevated areas

  3. Provide information:

    • Construction methodology and sequence
    • Temporary edge protection requirements during construction
    • Load capacity for construction loads
    • Safe demolition sequence for end-of-life

  4. Coordinate with others:

    • Consult with principal contractor about site conditions
    • Provide information to subcontractors (façade, services, etc.)
    • Coordinate with engineers designing temporary works