At SOS we sometimes get organisations who contact us regarding a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) being issued to them and not having the understanding or the resources to deal with them! We are very understanding as we know not everyone can know all of the WA WHS ACT and Regulations.
Note: It is important if you have been issued with a PIN that it gets communicated to upper management and addressed as soon as possible.
A Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) is a written direction issued by a trained Health and Safety Representative (HSR) or regulatory body (Worksafe) to a duty holder requiring them to fix a breach under Western Australia’s work health and safety laws
Key Rules for the issue of a PIN
- Reasonable Belief: The regulator or HSR can issue a PIN if they believe a safety breach of the WHS Act 2020 or Regulations is happening or will repeat.
- Consultation First: The regulator or HSRs must try to discuss and resolve the issue with the relevant person before issuing a formal notice.
- Timeframe: The notice must specify a date of at least 8 days for compliance.
- Display: The recipient must display a copy of the PIN in a prominent workplace location.
Disputing or Reviewing a PIN
- Request Review: If a duty holder disagrees with a PIN, they can ask WorkSafe WA to review it within 7 days of issue.
- Suspension: The PIN can be suspended while a WorkSafe inspector reviews the matter.
- Outcome: A Worksafe inspector can cancel, change, or confirm the PIN (which turns it into an official inspector-backed Improvement Notice).
If you would like a ‘fresh set of eyes’ over your workplace, require assistance with any work place inspections, hazard Identifications or audits do not hesitate to contact us.
We love looking for hazards and ways to control them!
https://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/provisional-improvement-notices-pins-and-direction-stop-unsafe-work