Occupational Health & Safety Reference Documents

Index to the Documents

Federal Government - the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, and Australian Standards.

NSW Government Documents - the legislation.

WorkCover NSW Documents - summaries of the legislation, annotated Regulations, Codes of Practice and Guides.

University of Sydney Documents - ohsrm documents from the Risk Management Office, including the Introduction and Guidelines.

AMME Documents - ohsrm forms, localised for use in AMME:
 PART A,   PART B,   PART C,   and the Action Plan form.

You will need Adobe Acrobat to open the documents, including the ohsrm forms. Download the free Acrobat Reader.

Aeromech School OHSRM Forms

The Risk Management Office has also produced standard forms. These forms have been "localised" by adding instructions relevant to staff in  AMME. Please complete the forms electronically if you can.

There are three methods that can be used to fill in the forms, ranked in decreasing order of complexity:

• Open the PDF file within your web browser, fill in the yellow fields, and click on the "email to Yvonne Witting" link inside the form. Make sure that you also email it to yourself, for reference purposes. Testing has shown that the free versions of Acrobat Reader v4 or v5 do this succesfully, but the web browser must be configured to open the PDF file inside the browser.
   
  
• Right-click on the link to the PDF form, and chose "Save As". Save the form on your hard disk in a place where you can find it. Edit the form, then email a copy to Yvonne Witting.
   
  
• Get a paper copy of the form (from Greg Cumberland, Vinita Martin or Yvonne Witting), fillit in and send a copy to Yvonne Witting.

Here are links to the PDF forms; further instructions are inside each form:

• ohsrm form PART A (172 kB PDF file): This form is for Steps 1 & 2 of the University's ohsrm process - identify and prioritise hazards and hazardous jobs. The form is to be completed by a Team Leader in consultation with employees directly affected by a hazard.
   
  
• ohsrm form PART B (125 kB PDF file): This form is for Steps 3 & 4 of the University's ohsrm process - assess and control the risks. The form is to be completed by a Team Leader in consultation with the workgroup Manager and employees directly affected by a hazard.
   
  
• ohsrm form PART C (110 kB PDF file): This form is for Step 5 of the University's ohsrm process - evaluate the effectiveness of risk control measures. The form is to be completed by the workgroup Manager.
   
  
• Action Plan form (98 kB PDF file):  Use this form for documenting the ohsrm arrangements within each workgroup. The form is to be completed by the workgroup Manager.

School OHS Documents

• Organizational Structure for OHSRM within the School,
  revised 14-May-2003. (PDF File)
• Procedures for Risk Control within the School under various circumstances,
  revised 14-May-2003. (PDF File)
• OHS Legislation Summary, concentrating on aspects that may be relevant to the School.
  (PDF File)

The University of Sydney

The Risk Management Office has established the Occupational Safety and Risk Management Process, or ohsrm, which provides the following documents

• ohsrm Program : Detailed information for University staff of the requirements of the legislation, together with a statement of the responsibilities of staff members at all levels for implementing the ohsrm program - essential reading.
   
  
• ohsrm Meeting Guide (9 kB PDF file): OHS is required to be on the agenda of every (!) meeting in the workplace.
   
• Health and Safety Manual from the Risk Management Office
   
• Slides accompanying the Engineering Faculty Talk given by Jon D'Astoli of the Risk Management Office on 15 August 2002. (180 kB PDF file).

WorkCover NSW

WorkCover NSW manages the State's workplace safety system, including compliance with of the Act and Regulation, and inspections of work places. A lot of useful information is available from WorkCover.

Guides to the Legislation

• Summary of the OHS Act 2000 (PDF file):  A short summary - essential reading
• Summary of the OHS Regulation 2001 (PDF file): A short summary - essential reading
• OHS Regulation 2001 (PDF file), with marginal annotations for the real  enthusiast.

Codes of Practice

Codes of Practice are not legally binding, but the legislation states specifically that they can be introduced as evidence in proceedings, and that they may be material evidence. Some of the Codes of Practice that may be relevant to the School include:

• Code of Practice for Low Voltage Electrical Work (PDF file). Low voltages do not exceed 1,000V AC or 1,500V DC.
• Code of Practice for Noise Management and Protection of Hearing at Work (PDF file).
• Code of Practice for OHS Consultation (PDF file) - decision making, and how to establish arrangements for workplace OHS consultation.
• Code of Practice for Risk Assessment  (PDF file) - guidance on assessment and management of risks.
• Code of Practice for Technical Guidance (PDF file) - here, "Technical Guidance" relates to engineering standards. This code of practice incorporates without modification various Australian Standards relating to Boilers & Pressure Vessels; Lasers; Electrical Equipment; Cranes and Lifting Gear; Personal Protective Equipment, and other Standards.

Guides

Guides provide information in a "brochure" style of publication.

• Guide to First Aid in the Workplace (PDF file)
• Guide to Plant  (PDF file) - common plant hazards. Hazards in all plant must be identified, assessed, and controlled. Some types of plant have additional requirements for design and use, whilst the designs of some high-risk plant must be registered.
• Guide to Risk Management (PDF file)
• Guide to Spray Painting (PDF file)
• Guide to Workplace Health and Safety Committees (PDF file)
• Health and Safety on the Office (PDF file) - the office environment, ergonomics, keyboarding.
• When an Inspector Calls - Guide 2002 (PDF file)
• Workplace Safety Kit (PDF file): a guide to managing safety in the workplace.

Other Information from WorkCover NSW

• Dangerous Goods - Who to Call  (PDF file)
• Due Diligence at Work  (PDF file) Advice for Managers.
• Reading Labels and Material Safety Data Sheets  (PDF file)

 It would seem prudent to comply with all recommendations of Codes of Practice, Guides, and Australian Standards whenever reasonably practicable to do so.

NSW Government

• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (PDF file). The Act states the basic law.
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 (PDF file). One regulation has been enacted to date. It provides details of how the Act should be implemented.

Federal Government

• National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) Website
  • National Standards and Codes of Practice
  • OHS Information, including practical guidance material, databases, and NOHSC publications
• Australian Standards. Access electronic (PDF) versions of Australian Standards through the University's subscription. Available only within usyd.

Finally, be entertained by the adventures of   Action Item   (just 'cause you read down this far...)

Please email comments and questions to David Rye.