WHS Codes of Practice in Australia

Posted by SkillMaker in Nov, 2014

What are WHS codes of practice in Australia?

WHS codes of practice are the methods that a company, or duty holder must apply when they are making their property comply with the WHS Act regulations.

What are WHS codes of practice in Australia like?

The Work Health & Safety codes of practice in Australia are like a set of arrangements telling a duty holder how they should go about preparing a job site to be in safety compliance, and the amount of time they have to be in compliance with the WHS Act.

What is the purpose of WHS codes of practice in Australia?

The purpose of the Work Health & Safety Act codes of practice is so that every employer will understand what they need to do in order to be in full compliance with the WHS Act regulations. WHS act regulations are a written set of safety laws that are designed to keep every worker in Australia safe from harmful jobs, from hazardous equipment, or chemicals, from sexual harassment in the workplace, and from bullying in the workplace. The codes of practice are the measures that the employer will take at their companies to improve the working conditions for their employers. There are guidelines the employers must follow so that all Australian workers can have an equal opportunity to work in a safe place, and so that the officials will be able to determine if the employer is in compliance with the Work Health & Safety Act.

What is the principle structure of a WHS code of practice in Australia?

The principle structure to the WHS code of practice is:

For an employer to get a copy of the WHS act and the regulations it initiates
For an employer to assess their properties so that they can understand what changes they will need to implement to create a safe work environment for all employees
For an employer to make a time line for the implementation of the reforms they need to make

What are the different types of WHS codes of practice in Australia?

There are many different types of WHS codes of practice in Australia:

How to remove hazardous materials like asbestos from the workplace; how to manage and control these materials in the workplace
Regulations regarding construction work in Australia
Safely doing demolitions in Australia
Managing electrical risks
Managing the risk of possible falls
Labeling the hazardous chemicals, preparing data sheets on hazardous chemicals, managing risk hazards of hazardous chemicals
Identifying and managing dangerous manual tasks
Noise control to prevent hearing loss in the workplace
The safe design of structures
Acceptable welding processes
For abrasive blasting
For the safe use of reinforced plastics
Codes of practice for agricultural shows and carnivals
Codes of practice for the Tasmanian Abalone industry
Forest safety codes
Excavation work
First aid in the workplace

What terms are used when applying WHS codes of practice in Australia?

There are some terms that you will need to familiarize yourself with in order to understand the WHS codes of Practice. Some of the most common terms are:

Manual tasks are the jobs that an employee can do with or without machinery
Structures are anything that has been constructed, or is in the process of being constructed
Hazardous means something that can cause harm to the people performing the work
Data sheets are written papers describing the components of a chemical and what should be done in the event of a spill, or the chemical coming in contact with human skin, or being inhaled
Workplace is anywhere a person is being paid to perform duties
Bullying is the act of one or more people to undermine the self-confidence of another individual
Sexual harassment is the unwanted sexual attention, or advances from someone at the workplace
Machinery is any motorized item that is used in the performing of a job. This does include motor vehicles, tractors, and machines that lift like forklifts, dozers, and such.

Where can I find more information about the WHS codes of practice in Australia?

If you would like to find out additional information regarding the Work Health & Safety Act codes of practice in Australia you can go to these websites.

http://worksafe.tas.gov.au/laws/codes_of_practice

http://www.business.gov.au/business-topics/employing-people/workplace-health-and-safety/Pages/whs-acts-regulations-and-codes-of-practice.aspx

http://www.comcare.gov.au/the_scheme/the_whs_act/codes_of_practice