NSW Work Health & Safety Regulations June 2012

1. NSW Work Health & Safety RegulationsJune 2012

2. WHS Regulation Training Package • Overview of Modules • Recap on the WHS Act • Overview of WHS Regulations • Management of Risk and Workplace Management • Common Workplace Hazards • High Risk Hazards • Construction Work

3. Learning Outcomes • The key learning outcomes of this course are: • An understanding of the legislative framework for WHS • An overview of the content and structure of the WHS Regulations • An understanding of how Codes of Practice are used to support the implementation of the WHS legislation • An understanding of the basic workplace requirements & management under the WHS Regulations

8. Legislative Framework ACT Regulation Codes of Practice Australian Standards Industry Standards Guidance Materials

9. Function of the WHS Regulation The most important function of the WHS Regulations is to specify the steps that are required for compliance with the general duties under the Act

10. What’s covered in the WHS Regulations

11. What’s covered in the WHS Regulations

12. Some thing may appear to be missing Abrasive blasting Welding Spray Painting Licensing for load shifting equipment Some construction hazards e.g. lowering of materials Certificates of competency for pest control Identification and Management of Risk What is reasonably practicable - state of knowledge

13. Some thing may appear to be missing REMEMBER: JUST BECAUSE A HAZARD IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE REGULATIONS DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT REGULATED. Any workplace hazard that is not specifically regulated is covered by the general duties in the WHS Act and Chapter 3 of the WHS Regulations. Duty holders (PCBUs and others) must identify any risk associated with the particular hazard and as far as is reasonably practicable, take steps to eliminate or minimise the risk.

14. What is the legal effect of Codes of Practice?

15. Codes of Practice

16. Second Stage Codes of Practice and Guidance Material relevant to our industry

17. Transitional arrangements and WorkCover NSW Codes

18. Workplace WHS Requirements

19. Managing Risks • Risks must be identifiedand controlled • Always aim to eliminate risks, and if not reasonably practicable then minimise risks as far as reasonably practical using the hierarchy of control • Risk assessment arenot mandatory but must be outcome focused • Regularly maintainand review risk control measures

20. Managing Risks

21. Consultation and Representation • The WHS Regulations: • Outlines the factors in determining work groups • Specifies HSR training details • The Codeof Practice: Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination provides guidance on implementation and ongoing compliance

22. Issue Resolution Procedure must take into account: the degree and immediacy of riskto workers or other persons involved in the issue; the number and location of workers and other persons affected by the issue; the measures(both temporary and permanent) that must be implemented to resolve the issue; who will be responsible for implementing the resolution measures

23. Training, Information & Instruction Must be suitable and reflect: • The nature of the work carried out by the worker • The nature of the risks associated with the work • The control measures implemented

24. Working Environment

25. The WHS Regulations specifies in detail the requirements for :

26. Emergency Plans • The WHS Regulation specifies the requirement for Emergency Plans • They must include procedures for rapid response, evacuation, notification, medical assistance and communication • Must inform workers of procedures • Must be tested in line with plan schedules • Emergency plan must take into account • The nature of the work • The hazards in the workplace • The size, location and nature of the workplace • The number and composition of workers (and others)

27. Common WHS Hazards

28. What are common hazards? • The common hazards likely to be found in most workplaces are considered to be: • Electrical work • Falls • Hazardous manual tasks • Plant and Structures • Hazardous chemicals

29. Electrical Safety: Equipment and Installations • PCBU must • Ensure unsafe electrical equipment disconnected and repaired or replaced • Inspect and test equipment • Keep records of testing until next tested or permanently removed

30. Electrical Safety: Energised Electrical Equipment • Work on energised electrical equipment is prohibited except in certain circumstances • Must determine whether equipment is energised • De-energised equipment must not be inadvertently re-energised

31. Hazardous Manual Tasks • Take into account risk factors including: • Postures, force, duration and frequency • Workplace environmental conditions, design and layout of workplace • Systems of work used • Nature, size, weight and number of persons, animals or things involved in the hazardous manual task

32. Hazardous Chemicals • Correctly label hazardous chemicals used in the workplace • Obtain and provide access to Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for workers • Maintain a register of hazardous chemicals used at the workplace • Display safety signs • Provide information, training and supervision to workers • Identify risks of physical or chemical reaction • Keep chemicals isolated and stable • Eliminate or minimise ignition sources

33. Plant and Structures • Controls risks in commissioningand de-commissioningof plant • Ensure competent persons are used, provide information and undertake inspections • If guarding is used to control risks a hierarchy from fixed or interlocked to presence guards is followed • Ensure that plant not in use does not create a risk to the health or safety of any person • Ensure that the maintenance, repair, inspection and, if necessary, testing of the plant is carried out by a competent person and in accordance with manufacturer specifications

34. High Risk Hazards

35. Learning Outcomes • The key learning outcomes of this module are: • An understanding of the high risk hazards, including licensing arrangements for high risk work covered in the WHS Regulations • An understanding of the changes from the current NSW OHS Regulations

36. What is high risk work? high risk work means any work within the scope of a high risk work licence high risk work licence means any of the licences listed in Schedule 3

37. High Risk Work Relevant to our industry includes

38. Work Near Traffic • Ensure that a worker is not exposed to risk from working near traffic • Safe systems and methods of work must be established for any worker carrying out work on, in or adjacent to a road, railway or other traffic corridor that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians

39. Electrical Safety Overhead Electrical Lines • Ensure that no person, plant or thing at the workplace comes within an unsafe distance of an overhead or underground electric line • If it is not reasonably practicable to comply, conduct a risk assessment

40. Falls • Manage the risk of a fall by a person from one level to another by: • Ensuring so far as is reasonably practicable that any work that involves the risk of a fall is carried out on the ground or on a solid construction • Providing safe access to and exit from the workplace or any area within the workplace with the risk of a fall • If not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk of falling then minimise the risk by providing adequate protection such as (in order): • Providing a fall prevention device or • Providing a work positioning system or • Providing a fall arrest system

41. Mobile Plant • Ensure that works involving mobile plant are • Conducted by competent persons following safe systems of works • Able to be done at a safe distance and separation from any persons in the vicinity • Are done using regularly inspected and maintained equipment

42. High Risk Work – Licensing A PCBU must ensure:

43. Construction Specific Requirements

44. WHS Regulations Chapter 6 Construction Work • CHANGES • Definition of construction work • Principal Contractor duties • Construction induction • Duties of designers of structures • The following has been moved into the chapter on Plant & Structures • Overhead protective structures • Structural collapse • Safe lowering of materials

45. Definition of Construction Work Construction work means: “any work carried out in connection with the construction, alteration, conversion, fitting-out, commissioning, renovation, repair, maintenance, refurbishment, demolition, decommissioning or dismantling of a structure”

46. Construction Work Includes activities connected with: The demolition and installation of billboard structures Onsite Installation of advertising structures such as bus stops and benches

47. Construction Work does NOT include:

48. A construction project is a project that involves construction work where the cost of the construction work is $250 000 or more • The PCBU that commissions a construction project is the principal contractor

49. Safe Work Method Statements • Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) are required for ALL HIGH RISK CONSTRUCTION WORK and must be prepared before work commences. SWMS must: • Identify work that is high risk construction work • Specify hazards andrisks associated with that work • Describe measures to control risks • Describe how the risk control measures are to be implemented, monitored and reviewed

50. Safe Work Method Statements Compliance • PCBU must give a copy to the Principal Contractor before work commences • PCBU must put in place arrangements to ensure SWMS is followed • If high risk construction work is not carried out in accordance with the SWMS, the work MUST be: • stopped immediately or as soon as safe to do so; • resumed in accordance with the statement