Edition 58, July 2008

OHS guide released for construction industry employers

WorkSafe Western Australia has released the OHSE Subby Pack which is designed to help self-employed persons, suppliers, service providers, contractors and subcontractors (organisations) operating within the Australian building and construction industry develop and review occupational safety and health management systems.

The Subby Pack is suitable for use as a toolkit across states and territories and was reviewed in 2008 to reflect the requirements of the Australian building and construction industry.

It is provided to assist an organisation to develop an Occupational Health and Safety Environment (OHSE) Management Plan and is relevant whether an organisation has minimal or no OHSE arrangements in place or is looking to improve upon an existing OHSE Management System.

Overall, the pack aims to assist an organisation to improve their OHSE performance by helping them to focus on the elimination or minimisation of OHSE hazards and risks within the workplace. Further, it aims to promote a national focus on OHSE within the Australian building and construction industry by assisting organisations in meeting some of the principal requirements of:

  • Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS4801 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Specification with Guidance for Use
  • Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS International Standards Organisation (ISO)14001 Environmental Management Systems with Guidance for Use
  • NOHSC:1016 National Standard for Construction Work.

In achieving its objective, the pack is separated into two sections:

  • OHSE Guidelines - provides five steps that guide an organisation in setting up an OHSE Management Plan
  • OHSE Management Plan - provides templates for policies and procedures that can be used to set up the OHSE Management Plan.

Organisations seeking further information or assistance in establishing an OHSE Management Plan should refer to industry bodies, regulators and employer/employee associations.

The templates and guidance materials are provided as examples that can be adapted to the workplace or organisation, but are not the only means by which compliance with national construction standards can be achieved.

Some aspects of the pack, such as 'common terms', differ from those contained in the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 and the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996.

Additionally, injury management and return to work requirements vary between jurisdictions. It is therefore important that the pack is used in conjunction with relevant Western Australian legislation.

For more information on occupational safety and health in construction in Western Australia visit www.worksafe.wa.gov.au 

This page was generated on 05 January, 2010

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