Reminder to review safety procedures for plant and machinery
Two fatal incidents in WA workplaces in April 2024 have prompted a reminder from WorkSafe for all workplaces to review safety procedures associated with mobile plant.
WorkSafe is investigating both incidents to identify whether any breaches of work health and safety laws have occurred and to determine the causes of the incidents.
Readers are reminded that persons in control of a business or undertaking (PCBUs, ie employers) to review their safety procedures especially those associated with operating mobile plant in workplaces.
There’s a large amount of guidance on WorkSafe’s website about plant safety, and PCBUs are encouraged to take a fresh look at their safe work procedures in line with that guidance and in consultation with workers.
Under the work health and safety (WHS) legislation, a person conducting a business or undertaking and the person with management, or control, of plant at a workplace must ensure that the risk in relation to the use of plant in the workplace is eliminated or, where this is not reasonably practicable, the risks must be minimised using a hierarchy of control measures.
As part of these control measures, certain work relating to plant must be carried out by, or in accordance with the recommendations of, a competent person. For example, work involving installation, assembly, construction, commissioning, maintenance, inspection, testing, decommissioning and dismantling of plant.
Regarding inspection and maintenance, a person is competent if they have acquired thorough training, qualification or experience, the knowledge and skills to carry out the maintenance and inspection of the item of plant.
Additional requirements under the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WHS General Regulations) apply to a competent person for carrying out a major inspection of mobile cranes or tower cranes, and for annual inspection of amusement devices and passenger ropeways.
A competent person must act within their knowledge, skills, competencies and training. Therefore, the inspection and maintenance of plant may require more than one competent person.
You can find more information on the inspection of machinery here.
You can find Frequently Asked Questions about plant and machinery here.