From 1 July 2018, Queensland has toughened the status of its codes of practice, meaning that business is now required to comply with the codes applicable to them or to an equivalent or higher standard.
FYI – A code of practice provides practical guidance for people who have work health and safety duties. These codes give guidance on how to achieve the standards required under the Act and effective ways to identify and manage risks.
The codes applicable to your industry must be followed by employers, or you risk enforcement action being taken by the safety regulator. Safety Inspectors are able to issue improvement notices where requirements of the codes are being breached, not just for breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act or Regulation. The codes have been reviewed to ensure they are consistent with legislative and technical requirements.
So what does this mean for you and your business?
You need to be aware of and comply with all applicable codes in Queensland. There are 38 of them! Not all will be relevant to your business, but you do need to know which ones are relevant and how to comply. A code doesn’t necessarily deal with every hazard and risk – a risk assessment MUST be done to make sure all hazards are reasonably identified and controlled in your workplace.
Some of the common codes are:
- Children and Young Workers
- Electrical safety – managing electrical risks in the workplace
- First aid in the workplace
- Hazardous manual tasks
- How to manage work health and safety risks
- Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
- Managing risks of plant in the workplace
- Managing the work environment and facilities
- Work health and safety consultation, co-operation and co-ordination
For help with all codes and how to comply by implementing stress free safety solutions, give us a call today on 0401 014 619 to organise a comprehensive risk assessment for your business. We can also train your staff to be able to implement and maintain the risk controls necessary to comply with the codes. Protect yourself today!
