WORKPLACE SAFETY

EMPLOYERS' RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTY OF CARE

Workplace safety is paramount: All employers and principal contractors who are directly
accountable for workplace safety, have a moral obligation and statutory duty of care
imposed by the OH&S Act, regulations and codes of practice to ensure the workplace
health, safety and welfare of all employees and individuals, directly and indirectly
involved with or affected by, activities conducted by their organization.

Safety plays an integral role in the ongoing process. Numerous routine safety procedures
are commonplace. They include work method statements, site inductions, job safety
analysis, toolbox meetings, safety walks and the nomination of safety officers.

Employers and principal contractors have a responsibility to ensure they comply fully
with all mandatory legislative requirements relating to the induction (both site specific
and work/task specific of all their employees and sub contactors. Employers must be
assured that any individual they employ is “competent”. The employee must meet the
minimum training and assessment standard. The employer must make sure all plant and
machinery is serviced and maintained and that appropriate risk assessments have been
carried out and that site operations are properly supervised.

The National Standard for Licensing Persons Performing High Risk Work stipulates that
to ensure performance beyond the minimum competencies required for licensing,
employers must provide the HRW licence holder with additional training, instruction and
information on the equipment operation, hazards, risks and control measures relevant to
working in a high risk environment.

LICENCING

Ongoing harmonisation of licensing laws clearly acknowledges that there is a
fundamental need for continued improvements to OH&S regulations. The National
Standard for Licensing Persons Performing High Risk Work encompasses 29 Licensing
classes that are considered high risk. The primary purpose of the national standard is to
establish a national uniform licensing system for individuals performing high-risk work.

This National High Risk Work Licence (HRW licence) includes classes that were not
certified under previous licensing schemes, such as forklifts and self-erecting tower
cranes. However, there are a number of load shifting classes that were originally
classified as “high risk” that are not included in the National Standard and therefore do
not require an HRW licence, i.e. excavator operation, front-end loader/backhoe operation,
front-end loader/skid steer type and dragline operation. States and territories have
separate proposals for the management and licensing of certain load shifting classes that
are not covered by the National Standard for Persons Performing High Risk Work.

HRW LICENCE LOG BOOK REQUIREMENT

A record of training (log book) must be maintained in accordance with the national
standard.

All trainees undertaking training in the workplace must maintain a written record of
practical training. At the completion of each training session the person who supervised
each occasion of training including the individual’s name and licence number must sign
this.

An RTO must retain all records (records of practical training, practical assessment, RPL
evidence, knowledge test and assessment summary) relating to training and assessment.

ELIGEBILITY & RENEWAL OF AN HRW LICENCE

To be eligible to obtain an HRW licence, an individual must demonstrate competency
and knowledge in the safe performance of high risk work under realistic workplace
conditions and having obtained the training, assessment, experience and qualifications
required by the licensing authority.

To renew an HRW licence, the applicant must provide documentary evidence of current
competency to formally prove that they have maintained the competencies required to
perform the class or classes of high risk work the licence relates to.

HOW CAN EMPLOYERS MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS?

It is essential that all employers and principal contractors are equipped with tangible
evidence that verifies an operators competence. Safety is important whether it is in a high
risk situation or one which is considered less risky.
More and more employers, principal contractors, sub contractors, safety officers, trainers,
RTO’s, , assessors, plant operators, training schools, safety consultants, Industry
federations, associations, councils and unions are beginning to recognise the need for a
comprehensive log book and are championing the BROWN BOOK as the solution.

Employers, contractors, sub contractors and plant operator training schools are now
actively encouraging their plant and machinery operators to maintain a log book such as
THE BROWN BOOK