Dec 2023 - Code of Practice - Managing The Risks of Plant in The Workplace
Dec 2023 - Code of Practice - Managing The Risks of Plant in The Workplace
Dec 2023 - Code of Practice - Managing The Risks of Plant in The Workplace
in the workplace
Code of Practice
JUNE 2023
Disclaimer
Safe Work Australia is an Australian Government statutory body established in 2009. Safe Work Australia includes Members
from the Commonwealth, and each state and territory, Members representing the interests of workers and Members
representing the interests of employers.
Safe Work Australia works with the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to improve work health and safety and
workers’ compensation arrangements. Safe Work Australia is a national policy body, not a regulator of work health and safety.
The Commonwealth, states and territories have responsibility for regulating and enforcing work health and safety laws in their
jurisdiction.
ISBN 978-0-642-33349-0 (PDF)
ISBN 978-0-642-33350-6 (DOCX)
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Contact information
Safe Work Australia | [email protected] | www.swa.gov.au
Contents
Foreword ............................................................................................................................. 5
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6
1.1. What is ‘plant’? .................................................................................................... 6
1.2. Who has health and safety duties for plant at the workplace? ............................. 6
1.3. What is involved in managing risks associated with plant? .................................. 9
1.4. Information, training, instruction and supervision ............................................... 12
1.5. Registering plant ............................................................................................... 13
2. The risk management process ................................................................................... 14
2.1. Identifying the hazards ...................................................................................... 14
2.2. Assessing the risks............................................................................................ 16
2.3. Controlling the risks ........................................................................................... 17
2.4. Maintaining and reviewing control measures ..................................................... 20
3. Controlling risks: from purchase to disposal ........................................................... 21
3.1. Purchasing and hiring plant ............................................................................... 21
3.2. Installation and commissioning of plant ............................................................. 24
3.3. Using plant in the workplace .............................................................................. 26
3.4. Making changes ................................................................................................ 27
3.5. Inspecting plant ................................................................................................. 28
3.6. Maintenance, repair and cleaning of plant ......................................................... 29
3.7. Storing plant ...................................................................................................... 30
3.8. Powered mobile plant ........................................................................................ 31
3.9. Decommissioning, dismantling and disposing of plant ....................................... 32
4. Specific control measures .......................................................................................... 33
4.1. Guarding plant ................................................................................................... 33
4.2. Operational controls .......................................................................................... 40
4.3. Emergency stops............................................................................................... 40
4.4. Warning devices ................................................................................................ 42
4.5. Isolating energy sources.................................................................................... 43
4.6. Roll-aways......................................................................................................... 45
5. Plant registration ......................................................................................................... 49
5.1. Design and altered design registration .............................................................. 49
5.2. Item registration................................................................................................. 50
6. Keeping records .......................................................................................................... 52
6.1. Record keeping—plant ...................................................................................... 52
Appendix A—Glossary ..................................................................................................... 53
Appendix B—Registrable plant designs and items of plant .......................................... 56
Plant requiring registration of design in Schedule 5 (Part 1) of the WHS Regulations.... 56
Plant not requiring registration of design in Schedule 5 (Part 1) of the WHS Regulations
56
Items of plant requiring registration in Schedule 5 (Part 2) of the WHS Regulations ...... 57
Items of plant not requiring registration in Schedule 5 (Part 2) of the WHS Regulations 57
Appendix C—Hazard checklist......................................................................................... 58
Appendix D—Examples of technical standards ............................................................. 61
Amendments ..................................................................................................................... 69
A PCBU must eliminate risks arising from plant in the workplace, or if that is not reasonably
practicable, minimise the risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
The WHS Regulations include more specific requirements for PCBUs to manage the risks of
hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants and plant, as well as other hazards associated
with the workplace.
This duty includes ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable:
the provision and maintenance of safe plant, and
the safe use, handling, storage and transport of plant.
PCBUs have a duty to consult workers about work health and safety and may also have
duties to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders.
Officers, for example company directors, have a duty to exercise due diligence to ensure the
PCBU complies with the WHS Act and WHS Regulations. This includes taking reasonable
steps to ensure the business or undertaking has and uses appropriate resources and
processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety. Further information on who is
an officer and their duties is available in the Interpretive Guideline: The health and safety
duty of an officer under section 27.
Workers
WHS Act section 28
Duties of workers
Workers have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and to not
adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. Workers must comply with
reasonable instructions, as far as they are reasonably able, and cooperate with reasonable
health and safety policies or procedures that have been notified to workers. If personal
protective equipment (PPE) is provided by the business or undertaking, the worker must so
far as they are reasonably able, use or wear it in accordance with the information and
instruction and training provided.
Other persons at the workplace, like visitors, must take reasonable care for their own health
and safety and must take care not to adversely affect other people’s health and safety. They
must comply, so far as they are reasonably able, with reasonable instructions given by the
PCBU to allow that person to comply with the WHS Act.
This Code provides guidance on how to manage the risks associated with plant in the
workplace using the following systematic process:
Identify hazards—find out what could cause harm.
Chapter 2 of this Code provides guidance on how to manage the risks associated with
managing plant in the workplace by following the hierarchy of control.
Further guidance on the risk management process is in the Code of Practice: How to
manage work health and safety risks.
Consulting workers
WHS Act section 47
Duty to consult workers
WHS Act section 48
Nature of consultation
A PCBU must consult, so far as is reasonably practicable, with workers who carry out work
for the business or undertaking and who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a health
and safety matter.
This duty to consult is based on the recognition that worker input and participation improves
decision-making about health and safety matters and assists in reducing work-related
injuries and disease.
The broad definition of a ‘worker’ under the WHS Act means a PCBU must consult, so far as
is reasonably practicable, with contractors and subcontractors and their employees, on-hire
workers, outworkers, apprentices, trainees, work experience students, volunteers and other
people who are working for the PCBU and who are, or are likely to be, directly affected by a
health and safety matter.
Workers are entitled to take part in consultations and to be represented in consultations by a
health and safety representative who has been elected to represent their work group.
Workers usually know the hazards and risks associated with the plant they use. By drawing
on the experience, knowledge and ideas of workers it is more likely hazards will be identified
so that effective control measures can be implemented.
The WHS Act requires a PCBU to consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other
persons who have a work health or safety duty in relation to the same matter, so far as is
reasonably practicable.
There is often more than one business or undertaking involved in managing risks of plant in
the workplace, that may each have responsibility for the same health and safety matters,
either because they are involved in the same activities or share the same workplace.
In these situations, each duty holder should exchange information to find out who is doing
what and work together in a cooperative and coordinated way so risks are eliminated or
minimised so far as is reasonably practicable.
Examples of where a PCBU will have a health and safety duty include where:
the PCBU engages workers to carry out work
the PCBU directs or influences workers in carrying out work
other persons may be put at risk from work carried out in their business or undertaking
The WHS Act requires that a PCBU ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the provision
of any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons
from risks to their health and safety arising from work carried out as part of the conduct of
the business or undertaking.
The PCBU must ensure that information, training or instruction provided to a worker are
suitable and adequate having regard to:
the nature of the work carried out by the worker
the nature of the risks associated with the work at the time of the information, training
and instruction, and
the control measures implemented.
The PCBU must also ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the information,
training and instruction are provided in a way that is readily understandable for the person to
whom it is provided.
Workers must be trained and have the appropriate skills to carry out a particular task safely.
Training should be provided to workers by a competent person.
Before a PCBU’s workers or other persons use the plant in a workplace, a PCBU must, as
far as is reasonably practicable, provide them with information, training, instruction and
organise ongoing supervision as necessary to protect them from risks arising from the use of
the plant.
Design registration
Design registration is the registering of a completed design, from which any number of
individual items can be manufactured. The original designer or a person with management
or control of the item of plant may apply for design registration.
Item registration
Plant item registration applies to a specific item of plant. Each item requires registration. The
purpose of registering an item of plant is to ensure it is inspected by a competent person and
is safe to operate. A person with management or control of plant should obtain a copy of the
design registration from the supplier of the plant to ensure all registrable plant items are
registered.
Further information on registering plant is provided in Chapter 5 of this Code.
Control measures must be maintained so they remain fit for purpose, suitable for the nature
and duration of work and are installed, set up and used correctly.
The control measures put in place to protect health and safety should be regularly reviewed
to make sure they are effective. If the control measure is not working effectively it must be
revised to ensure it is effective in controlling the risk.
You must review and as necessary revise control measures so as to maintain, so far as is
reasonably practicable, a work environment that is without risks to health or safety. For
example:
when the control measure does not control the risk so far as is reasonably practicable
before a change at the workplace that is likely to give rise to a new or different health
and safety risk that the measure may not effectively control
a new or relevant hazard or risk is identified
the results of consultation indicate that a review is necessary, or
a health and safety representative requests a review if that person reasonably
believes that:
a circumstance in any of the above points affects or may affect the health and safety
of a member of the work group represented by the health and safety representative
the control measure has not been adequately reviewed in response to
the circumstance.
Common review methods include workplace inspection, consultation, testing and analysing
records and data.
You can use the same methods as in the initial hazard identification step to check control
measures. You must also consult your workers and their health and safety representatives.
If problems are found, go back through the risk management steps, review your information
and make further decisions about control measures.
Suppliers’ duties apply whether the plant is new, second-hand or hired out. There are also
some additional duties that apply when the plant is second-hand. Some examples of
suppliers of second-hand plant include a person conducting a business or undertaking
(PCBU) who:
sells second-hand plant at a retail outlet or directly sells their own second-hand plant
imports second-hand plant for on-sale, and
auctions second-hand plant, excepting certain clearing sales (see below).
A supplier of plant must:
take all reasonable steps to obtain the information required to be provided by the
manufacturer under sections 23(4)(a), (b) and (c) of the WHS Act, and
when the plant is supplied, ensure the person to whom the plant is supplied is given the
information obtained by the supplier.
A supplier of second-hand plant must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that any
faults in the plant are identified.
Before plant is supplied, the supplier of second-hand plant must ensure that the person to
whom the plant is supplied is given written notice:
of the condition of the plant
of any faults identified, and
if appropriate, that the plant should not be used until the faults are rectified.
A supply of a thing does not include the supply of a thing by a person who does not control
the supply and has no authority to make decisions about the supply, for example an
auctioneer without possession of the thing or a real estate agent acting in their capacity as a
real estate agent.
Suppliers’ duties apply to a PCBU whether the sale is a one-off sale or forms part of the
business’s day-to-day operations.
Hiring plant
When you hire plant, both you and the person you have hired it from must ensure, so far as
is reasonably practicable, the plant is safe to use. During the time the plant is in your
possession you will have control over the way the plant is used in the workplace.
Before you hire the plant you should assess whether the plant is suitable for its intended
use. You should also check the plant has been inspected and maintained by the supplier
according to the manufacturer’s specifications. This may involve checking the logbook or
maintenance manual. You should also ensure the supplier provides you with the
manufacturer’s information about the purpose of the plant and its proper use.
A person who hires or leases plant to others will have duties as a supplier of plant and as a
person with management or control of plant. This means they must ensure, so far as is
reasonably practicable, the plant is safe to use and properly maintained. They must also
provide specific information with the plant about how to operate it safely.
In most cases the supplier will be responsible for inspecting and maintaining the plant.
However, if the plant is to be hired for an extended period of time, you and the supplier may
develop arrangements to ensure the plant is properly inspected and maintained throughout
the lease. This may involve the supplier coming to your workplace to maintain the plant, or
you maintaining the plant while it is at your workplace.
The arrangements you make will depend on your ability to inspect and maintain the plant in
accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. If you choose to maintain the plant
yourself during the lease, you should provide all information and records about the
maintenance to the hirer at the end of the lease.
Commissioning plant
Commissioning plant involves performing the necessary adjustments, tests and inspections
to ensure plant is in full working order to specified requirements before the plant is used.
Commissioning includes recommissioning.
The person who commissions plant should ensure:
the commissioning sequence is in accordance with the design specifications, and
tests are carried out to check the plant will perform within the design specifications.
If plant is being used to lift or suspend persons and it is not reasonably practicable to use
plant that is specifically designed to lift or suspend them, the person with management or
control of the plant must ensure:
the plant does not cause a greater risk to health and safety than if specifically designed
plant were used
the persons are lifted or suspended in a work box that is securely attached to the plant
the persons in the work box remain substantially within the workbox while they are being
lifted or suspended
a safety harness is worn if there is a risk of a worker falling from a height, and
means are provided by which the persons being lifted or suspended can safely exit from
the plant in the event of a failure in its normal operation.
As a PCBU, you must not direct or allow a worker to carry out high risk work for which a high
risk work licence is required unless you see written evidence provided by the worker that the
worker has the relevant high risk work licence for that work.
Certain types of work, for example operating industrial trucks and some cranes or scaffold
and rigging work, require the worker to have a high risk work licence before they can operate
the plant or undertake the work. Schedule 3 of the WHS Regulations sets out the classes of
high risk work licences and the types of plant involved, and Schedule 4 sets out the
competency requirements for a high risk work licence.
The person with management or control of plant at a workplace must ensure that
maintenance, inspection and, if necessary, testing of plant is carried out by a competent
person.
The maintenance, inspection and testing must be carried out:
in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, if any
if there are no manufacturer’s recommendations, in accordance with the
recommendations of a competent person, or
in relation to inspection, if it is not reasonably practicable to comply with the above,
annually.
Plant inspection should be conducted in accordance with a regular maintenance system to
identify:
potential problems not anticipated during plant design or task analysis
deficiencies in plant or the equipment associated with use of the plant, for example wear
and tear, corrosion and damaged plant parts
adverse effects of changes in processes or materials associated with plant, and
inadequacies in control measures that have been previously implemented.
If plant needs to be operated while being maintained or cleaned, the person with
management or control of the plant must ensure that the operator’s controls:
permit operation of the plant while a person is undertaking maintenance of cleaning of
the plant
while the plant is being maintained or cleaned, either:
cannot be operated by a person other than the person carrying out the maintenance
or cleaning of the plant, or
if the plant must be operated by a person other than the person carrying out
maintenance or cleaning, cannot be operated except by a person authorised by the
person with management or control of the plant for that purpose, and
allow the plant to be operated in such a way that eliminates risks or, if that is not
reasonably practicable, minimises the risks so far as reasonably practicable.
Following maintenance or cleaning, all guarding must be replaced before plant is used.
Plant with damage that poses a risk to health and safety should be withdrawn from service
until those risks have been controlled.
The person with management or control of plant at a workplace must ensure, so far as is
reasonably practicable, that plant that is not in use is left in a state that does not create a risk
to the health or safety of any person.
Plant not in use should be stored so it does not create a risk to workers or other people in
the workplace. Where plant is to be placed in storage, you should:
ensure relevant health and safety information supplied by the designer or manufacturer
is provided to the person who is to dismantle or store the plant
implement control measures to eliminate, or if that is not reasonably practicable,
minimise the risk to health and safety to people during storage. For example, release
stored energy, lower moving parts that lower under gravity and provide support to
prevent toppling
implement control measures to eliminate or, if that is not reasonably practicable,
minimise the risks of damage to plant during storage. For example, risks may arise from
corrosion as a result of exposure to residues of hazardous substances and deteriorating
consumables.
The person with management or control of powered mobile plant must manage risks to
health and safety associated with the following:
the plant overturning
things falling on the operator of the plant
the operator being ejected from the plant
the plant colliding with any person or thing, and
mechanical failure of pressurised elements of plant that may release fluids that pose a
risk to health and safety.
A person with management or control of powered mobile plant at a workplace must ensure,
so far as is reasonably practicable, that a suitable combination of OPDs for the plant is
provided, maintained and used.
Powered mobile plant may present a risk to health or safety if measures are not taken to
prevent the plant moving of its own accord, for example rolling down a sloping surface, or to
prevent unauthorised operation. For example, an industrial lift truck at the end of or during a
shift is plant that is frequently not in use and is unattended for short periods of time. The
person with management or control should ensure the operator of the industrial lift truck
understands the required safety procedures when leaving the industrial lift truck unattended.
This would include ensuring the industrial lift truck has been parked on a firm, level surface
with the handbrake applied, the motor switched off and rendered inoperable, for example by
removing the key.
Section 4.6 of this Code provides specific information on the prevention of roll-aways and the
safe immobilisation of vehicles.
Quad bikes
From 11 October 2021, all new general use quad bikes, and all imported second-hand
general use quad bikes, must be fitted with an OPD.1 The person with management or
1
Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019
Section 3.2 of this Code provides an outline of obligations imposed on persons with
management or control of plant in relation to controlling risks arising from installing and
commissioning plant.
A person with management or control of plant at a workplace should follow the same
procedures to identify any hazards inherent in the process of decommissioning and
dismantling the plant, for example exposure to hazardous substances. The plant should be
dismantled in accordance with the designer’s and manufacturer’s instructions.
Disposing of plant may include reselling, in full or part, scrapping, waste disposal or
recycling. If the plant is to be resold, the seller will take on the duties of a person supplying
the plant. The seller should ensure the plant is safe to load, transport, unload and store.
Information relating to the plant design, registration, installation, operation and maintenance
must be provided with the plant to the reseller or buyer.
The supplier must ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the plant they import or supply is
without risks to health and safety to people at or in the vicinity of a workplace.
If the plant is to be scrapped, you should consult with local recycling or local waste disposal
authorities or organisations so the plant can be made safe to load, transport, unload and
dispose of.
If the plant is to be used for scrap or spare parts, you must inform the person you are
supplying the plant to that the plant is being supplied as scrap or spare parts and the plant in
its current form is not to be used as plant. This must be done in writing or by marking the
item of plant.
If guarding is used, the person with management or control of the plant must ensure that one
of the following is complied with:
if access to the area of plant requiring guarding is not necessary during operation,
maintenance or cleaning of the plant, the guarding is a permanently fixed barrier, or
if access to guarded areas is necessary during operation, maintenance or cleaning, the
guarding is an interlocked physical barrier that allows access to the area being guarded
at times when that area does not present a risk and prevents access to that area at any
other time.
If it is not reasonably practicable to use a permanently fixed barrier or an interlocked physical
barrier in accordance with the above dot points:
the guarding is a physical barrier that can only be altered or removed using a tool, or
if it is also not reasonably practicable to use a physical barrier fixed in position, the
guarding includes a presence-sensing safeguarding system that eliminates risk arising
from the area of the plant requiring guarding when a person or any part of a person is in
the area being guarded.
A person with management or control of the plant must ensure that the guarding:
is of solid construction and securely mounted so as to resist impact or shock
makes by-passing or disabling the guarding, whether deliberate or accidental, as difficult
as is reasonably practicable
does not create a risk in itself. For example, it must not obstruct operator visibility,
weaken the plant, cause discomfort to operators or introduce new hazards, such as
pinch points, rough or sharp edges
is properly maintained
controls, so far as is reasonably practicable, any risk from potential broken or ejected
parts and work pieces, and
is able to be removed when the plant is not in normal operation to allow for maintenance
and cleaning and, when the guarding is removed, that, so far as is reasonably
practicable, the plant cannot be restarted unless the guard is replaced.
Figure 1 Cut-away view of a fixed physical barrier encasing the gear assembly and electric motor
Physical barriers, for example perimeter fences securely fixed in position, may prevent
access to dangerous areas. Any access points, for example gates and doors, should be
secured with a lock and key or an interlocking system (see Figure 4). Isolation procedures
may be necessary where there is a danger of machines activating while a person is inside
the barrier. For example, when an interlocked door is accidentally closed the machine should
not automatically restart.
Adjustable guarding incorporates movable sections or panels of the guard to allow materials
to be fed into the guarded area while still preventing physical contact (see Figure 5).
Presence-sensing systems
WHS Regulation 226
Plant with presence-sensing safeguarding system—records
Figure 6 Paper cutting guillotine with a combination of guards including a photoelectric light curtain
Environmental factors
When using a guard you should consider the environment in which it may be used. Some
examples of poor guard selection include: guards on high frequency welders that become
electrically charged; heating of guards in hot processes; and wire mesh guards on machines
emitting splashes.
If a guard is likely to be exposed to corrosion, the person with management or control of the
plant should consider corrosion-resistant materials or surface coatings.
Colour coding
It is good practice for all guards to be painted the same colour. For example:
use high visibility yellow or red, provided it is different to the plant’s colour, so it can be
clearly seen when a guard has been removed or when it is not in its proper place, and
paint the surfaces behind the guard a contrasting or bright colour so that when the guard
is removed the exposed colour is clearly visible and it is easy to identify that the guard
has been removed, alerting workers to possible danger.
For some types of plant, it may be necessary to choose colours that contrast with work
pieces, where these are visible through the guarding.
A person with management or control of plant at a workplace must ensure that any operator
controls are:
identified on the plant to indicate their nature and function and direction of operation
located so they can be readily and conveniently operated by each person using the plant
located or guarded to prevent unintentional activation, and
able to be locked into the ‘off’ position to enable disconnection from energy sources.
Poorly designed operator controls can lead to plant moving unexpectedly or not being able
to be operated safely. For example, a control for setting the speed on a saw should not be a
simple slider or rotary control that may be accidentally adjusted during operation. It should
be graduated in fixed lockable steps.
Operational control devices should be designed:
to enable the plant to be ‘fail safe’, for example when hand pressure is released on a
lever controlling up and down movement, the lever will return to the neutral position and
movement will stop
to be within easy access of the operator
so the intended function can be easily read and understood, especially in the case of
dials and gauges
so the movement of the control is consistent with established convention, for example
anticlockwise to open, clockwise to close
so the desired effect can only occur by intentional control operation, for example
providing a starting control
to withstand the rigours of normal use, undue forces and environmental conditions
so they are located outside danger zones
so they are readily accessible for maintenance, and
so they are positioned to maximise visibility of the whole plant.
If the design of plant at a workplace includes an emergency stop control, the person with
management or control of the plant must ensure that:
the stop control is prominent, clearly and durably marked and immediately accessible to
each operator of the plant
any handle, bar or push button associated with the stop control is coloured red, and
the stop control cannot be adversely affected by electrical or electronic circuit
malfunction.
Where the plant is designed to be operated or attended by more than one person and more than
one emergency stop control is fitted, the person with management or control of the plant
must ensure that the multiple controls are of the ‘stop and lock-off’ type so that the plant
If the design of plant includes an emergency warning device or it is necessary to include one
to minimise risk, the person with management or control of the plant must ensure that the
device is positioned on the plant to ensure that the device will work to best effect.
If there is a possibility of the plant colliding with pedestrians or other powered mobile plant,
the person with management or control of the plant must ensure that the plant has a warning
device that will warn persons who may be at risk from the movement of the plant. There are
a number of warning devices that can be fitted to moving plant to alert the operator and
others in the workplace.
Warning devices should be fitted to fixed plant to warn workers of an impending risk. For
example, these may warn of start-up movement or release of steam or overpressure.
Motion sensors
Motion sensors are used to activate an integrated or separately located alarm. Motion
sensors also warn with sound. They are sensitive to movement and are activated by motion
in the required direction. These devices are suitable for plant that moves suddenly in any
direction, for example rollers, bulldozers, excavators, boom lifts or scissor lifts.
Motion sensor alarms usually deactivate after a short time. They should not be deactivated if
the operator has restricted vision when reversing.
Lights
Lights are usually used to warn of forward and reversing movement. These lights are wired
to operate continuously or in hazard mode by flashing, usually when reversing. They
generally work when the gear or drive lever is engaged.
It is important to choose the intensity and colour of lights appropriate to your workplace to
ensure the moving plant can be seen. For example, an orange warning light may be suitable
inside a warehouse but may not be seen in sunlight.
Flashing lights
Rotary flashing lights are coloured revolving lights and are usually mounted in a prominent
place, for example the top of a vehicle cabin. They can be wired to operate continuously or
Percussion alarms
Percussion alarms are mechanical devices fitted to an axle or gearshift. When plant moves,
a cam raises a hammer that drops repeatedly onto a bell or sounding plate. These alarms
are relatively cheap to install. However, they require regular maintenance to ensure they
continue functioning effectively.
Air horns
Horns are suitable for powered mobile plant with long braking distances, for example trucks.
Some large workplace or sites may require a truck to ‘stop and sound horn before
continuing’.
Figure 9 Example of lock-out with a tag and the padlocks of two workers
Another way to allow multiple locks to be used is to have one padlock on the isolation point,
with the keys locked in a box that has been locked separately by each worker.
Each worker involved in the maintenance, cleaning or repair of the plant should have a lock,
tag and key for each isolation point. There should be no duplicate key for any lock, except a
master key that is kept in a secure location and which should only be used in an emergency.
If more than one energy source needs to be isolated to enable safe shut-down of the plant,
the single key to each lock-out device should be held by the same person.
4.6. Roll-aways
A roll-away is the unintentional movement of mobile plant because it has not been properly
immobilised.
Roll-aways can be prevented by implementing the following controls:
Park on a level, flat surface where possible
Use wheel chocks. A wheel chock is a wedge-shaped object with a non-slip bottom
surface that can be placed behind a wheel to prevent it from rolling away.
Park with wheels turned so that, if the vehicle rolled, it would roll towards the kerb
where possible
Except when parked for maintenance work, park the vehicle in the correct gear. For
automatic transmission vehicles, this will usually be ‘park (P)’. For manual
transmission vehicles:
o put the vehicle in first gear when facing uphill
o put the vehicle in reverse when facing downhill
When parked for maintenance work, vehicles should not be parked in gear
Ensure plant attachments, e.g. blades, buckets and rippers are on the ground
Apply the handbrake before exiting the vehicle
Turn the engine off and remove the keys to prevent anyone starting the vehicle
Establish a clearly marked exclusion zone around the vehicle where necessary, for
example immediately downhill from a truck or trailer being unloaded.
Effective use of wheel chocks
Care should be taken when installing and removing wheel chocks as this can place
workers in the direct line of the wheel if a roll-away was to occur.
Chocks should be placed in the centre of, and square to, the tyre as illustrated below.
Design registration
In order to register a plant design, the design must be verified by a design verifier who must
provide a statement stating the design has been produced in accordance with published
technical standards or engineering principles specified by the designer. Examples of
published technical standards are provided at Appendix D.
A design can only be verified by a person who is eligible to be a design verifier under the
WHS Regulations. The types of people who would be competent to verify the design of plant
may include someone who:
has educational or vocational qualifications in an engineering discipline relevant to the
design to be verified
has knowledge of the technical standards relevant to the design to be verified
has the skills necessary to independently verify the design was produced in accordance
with the published technical standards and engineering principles used in the design
is certified by a body accredited or approved by the Joint Accreditation System—
Australia and New Zealand or an equivalent overseas body to undertake conformity
assessments of the design against the relevant technical standards.
For example, this could include someone who is registered on the National Professional
Engineers Register administered by the Institution of Engineers Australia and is determined
by the Institution to be competent to design or inspect the relevant type of plant, or is a
member of the Institution of Engineers Australia with the status of Chartered
Professional Engineer.
When registering a plant design, the regulator will issue a plant design registration number.
The person to whom this number is issued must give this number to the manufacturer,
importer or supplier of plant manufactured to that design. These duty holders must ensure
the design registration number is provided to the person with management or control of that
plant at the workplace.
The person with management or control of plant at the workplace must then ensure the
design registration number is kept readily accessible in the vicinity of the plant at all times. A
reliable way to achieve this is to permanently mark the design registration number on
the plant.
If a registered plant design is altered and the altered design may affect health and safety, the
altered design must be registered. This is because altering a plant design may require the
introduction of new risk control measures. The application for registration of the altered
design must be made in the jurisdiction that registered the original design. If the original
design was not registered before the specified date, the altered design must be registered as
a new design.
Registration duration
Registration of an item of plant applies for five years, and takes effect on the day the
registration is granted.
Registration renewal
Registering the item of plant will expire exactly five years from the date registration is
granted. To renew the registration for the item of plant the registration holder must apply to
the regulator before the registration expires.
Term Description
Duty holder Any person who owes a work health and safety duty under the WHS
Act including a person conducting a business or undertaking, a
designer, manufacturer, importer, supplier, installer of products or
plant used at work (upstream duty holder), officer or a worker.
Health and safety A consultative body established under the WHS Act. The committee's
committee functions include facilitating cooperation between workers and the
person conducting a business or undertaking to ensure workers’
health and safety at work, and assisting to develop work health and
safety standards, rules and procedures for the workplace.
Health and safety A worker who has been elected by their work group under the WHS
representative Act to represent them on health and safety matters.
Must ‘Must’ indicates a legal requirement exists that must be complied with.
Person conducting a A PCBU is an umbrella concept which intends to capture all types of
business or undertaking working arrangements or relationships.
(PCBU)
A PCBU includes a:
company
unincorporated body or association
sole trader or self-employed person.
Individuals who are in a partnership that is conducting a business will
individually and collectively be a PCBU.
A volunteer association (defined under the WHS Act, see below) or
elected members of a local authority will not be a PCBU.
Volunteer association A group of volunteers working together for one or more community
purposes where none of the volunteers, whether alone or jointly with
any other volunteers, employs any person to carry out work for the
volunteer association.
Worker Any person who carries out work for a person conducting a business
or undertaking, including work as an employee, contractor or
subcontractor (or their employee), self-employed person, outworker,
apprentice or trainee, work experience student, employee of a labour
hire company placed with a 'host employer' or a volunteer.
Workplace Any place where work is carried out for a business or undertaking and
includes any place where a worker goes, or is likely to be, while at
work. This may include offices, factories, shops, construction sites,
vehicles, ships, aircraft or other mobile structures on land or water.
‘Yes’ to any of the following indicates the need to implement control measures
Entanglement Yes No
Can a person’s hair, clothing, gloves, necktie, jewellery, cleaning brush or rag ☐ ☐
become entangled with moving parts of the plant?
Crushing Yes No
Shearing Yes No
Can anyone’s body parts be sheared between two parts of the plant, or between a ☐ ☐
part of the plant and a work piece or structure?
Striking Yes No
Can anyone come into contact with fluids under high pressure, due to plant failure or ☐ ☐
misuse of the plant?
Electrical Yes No
Explosion Yes No
Can anyone using the plant, or in the vicinity of the plant, slip, trip or fall due to: ☐ ☐
uneven or slippery work surfaces?
poor housekeeping, for example offcuts, cables, hoses obstructing walkways,
spills not cleaned up?
obstacles being placed in the vicinity of the plant?
other factors not mentioned?
Ergonomic Yes No
AS Australian Standard
BS British Standard