b) Duty to provide a safe working environment
Usually, the scope of duty can be further categorized into the following:
1. Duty to provide competent co-workers
- To take reasonable care in appointing, training and supervising staff
- The employer will be liable when injury is caused to an employee by any co-worker due to the co-worker's fault
- If necessary, incompetent staff will have to be terminated to fulfill this duty
2. Duty to provide safe plant and equipment
- To take reasonable care in selecting and providing plant, tools and appliances to be used by employees
- To conduct regular maintenance and inspection of the equipment
- To ensure safe storage of tools
- To instruct the proper use of equipment
3. Duty to provide safe place of work:
- To maintain a work environment that is safe and without risk to the employees' health so far as is reasonably practicable, including access to and from the workplace
- Duty can apply even when employee is working off-site
4. Duty to provide a safe system of work
- to take all reasonable steps to maintain a safe system of work so as not to expose the employee to unnecessary risk of injury
- the duty varies depending on the nature of the work, and can extend to protect employees from deliberate harm from third parties
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