Notice to industry 3/2009 - Performing machinery/equipment inspections at heights greater than 2 metres

In early January 2009, AQIS Regional Machinery Coordinators were contacted and requested to supply a list of premises/sites where machinery inspections occur, and also to provide information on any working at heights safety equipment provided by industry at these locations.

In the coming months, AQIS will be working with industry to assess the working at heights safety equipment available at individual locations. Where safety equipment is found to be inferior to requirements, or is not installed, AQIS will invite industry to select and install appropriate equipment that will meet AQIS OH&S requirements.

The Commonwealth OH&S Act (and similar state legislation) requires employers to assess the risk of fall injuries for work activities occurring at heights and AQIS is currently carrying out these risk assessments. Following the risk assessment, there is a hierarchical list of options that can be selected to mitigate risk and the selected option must be documented and justified.

In summary, legislated risk mitigation options to make working at heights safe, in order of priority, are:

• perform tasks on the ground, or from a solid platform
• use a passive fall prevention device
• use a work positioning system
• use a fall injury prevention system
• use a fixed or portable ladder, or
• use administrative controls.

These controls may be used in combination to reduce the risk(s).

AQIS will be working with industry to ensure that only those industry facilities that provide appropriate safety equipment have oversized machinery/equipment directed to their premises for inspection. This may include making safety equipment a condition of approval for QAPs (and possibly extending this requirement to proclaimed ports).

Further information

Please contact General Manager Co-regulation and Support on (02) 6272 3933.