Notice to Industry - 49/2009 Machinery/equipment inspections at heights greater than two metres: Safety equipment assessment

Notice to Industry 49/2009—Machinery/equipment inspections at heights greater than two metres: Safety equipment assessment

In February this year, Notice to Industry 3/2009 'Performing machinery/equipment inspections at heights greater than 2 metres' informed stakeholders that AQIS was assessing QAPs or inspection sites and the safety equipment supplied to perform inspections at heights, against Commonwealth Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) legislative requirements.

The stocktake process of sites and safety equipment is now complete, and it was found that there was a very high level of compliance (approximately 98 per cent) against Occupational Health and Safety (Safety Standards) Regulations 1994, Section 13.06 Risk Control Measures. This was an excellent result and addressed concerns that had been raised about provision of adequate safety equipment to perform inspections of oversized cargo at heights greater than two metres.

As summarised in Notice to Industry 3/2009, Regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 provide a list of mitigation options to make working at heights safe. These options are listed in order of preference and, where a lower order safety measure is selected, it has to be justified.

To reiterate, the safety mitigation options in order of preference are:

1. Arrange for tasks to be performed on the ground, or on a solid construction
2. Use a passive fall prevention device such as a fixed, mobile or suspended work platform, elevating work platform, suspended work box, etc
3. Use a work positioning system such as an industrial rope access system
4. Use a fall injury prevention system such as a safety net or harness
5. Use a fixed or portable ladder or administrative control.

It should be noted that where AQIS work activities are performed at heights greater than two metres, fixed or portable ladders are the lowest level risk mitigation option and are difficult to justify when safer options are available. AQIS prefers supply of safety equipment options from categories 1 or 2 from the above list unless lower levels can be justified on the basis of safer options being impractical.

Further information

Please contact the General Manager, Co-regulation and Support, AQIS Canberra on 02 6272 3933.