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Occupational health and safetypre-qualification for contractors

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Table of contents

Notice to contractor 3

Wodonga Council occupational health and safety 3

Occupational health and safety Act (2004) section 21, 22 and 23 3

Common law 4

Occupational health and safety 4

Compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations 4

Familiarity with health and safety issues 5

Safe work practices 5

Conforming with acceptable industry standards 5

Use and maintenance of plant and equipment 5

Site safety requirements 5

Reporting of injuries 5

Rehabilitation of injured workers 5

Unsatisfactory safety performance 6

Smoking 6

Road openings 6

Licencing 6

Electrical hazards 6

Welding and cutting 6

Access to fire equipment 6

Completion of works 6

Scaffolding 6

Confined space entry 6

Hazards 7

Conduct 7

Asbestos 7

Working in the vicinity of services 7

Electrical power tools 7

Working near power lines 7

First aid 7

Manual handling tasks 7

Noise control 7

Site safety plan 8

Public safety 8

Personal protective equipment 8

Insurance and workcover questionnaire 9

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Notice to the contractor

Wodonga Council is committed to occupational health and safety thus ensuring the safety of its employees, contractors, volunteers, ratepayers and visitors who are involved in Wodonga Council workplaces. All potential contractors must agree to abide by the safety policies, procedures and guidelines which have been adopted by Wodonga Council.

All Wodonga Council employees are expected to work within these safety guidelines and Wodonga Council expects its contractors and their employees to do the same.

The attached are a guide to safety protocols which all contractors will be expected to adhere to but if you are in any doubt about a safety issue consult your contract manager or Wodonga Councils OHS advisor.

Wodonga Council occupational health and safety

Wodonga Council is fully committed to the highest level of health and safety for employees, contractors, volunteers, ratepayers, and visitors who are involved in Wodonga Council workplaces.

Wodonga Council is seeking to continuously improve the quality goods and services it provides, by building closer relationships and alliances with likeminded contractors, in accordance with the principles of the Australian Business Excellence Framework (ABEF).

A key component of our commitment to improving supplier relationships is the creation and enforcement of occupational health and safety for contractors, to provide a clear outline of the councils expectations from our preferred suppliers.

Wodonga Council requires the entire organisation to be involved in the development and maintenance of an effective occupational health and safety system and specifically requests all employees to participate actively in the development and implementation of safety in the workplace.

All managers and employees have a responsibility to ensure all aspects of the occupational health and safety system are fully implemented in operational areas under their control and that training and other activities are sufficiently resourced to enable successful program implementation, and employees under their direct supervision are openly encouraged to participate in our safety system.

Our system shall be to ensure the entire work environment is maintained in a safe condition. All identified hazards will be investigated with the control of hazards designed to reduce any risk to a level acceptable to employees directly affected. No employee will be expected to carry out activities reasonably considered unsafe.

All employees are responsible for operating in a safe manner and ensuring both their own safety and the safety of their fellow employees are never compromised by their actions.

Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004) - section 21, 22 and 23

Part III General duties relating to occupational health and safety.

21 - Duties of Employers.1. An employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain for employees of the employer

a working environment that is safe and without risks to health.2. Without limiting sub-section (1), an employer contravenes that sub-section if the employer fails to do any

of the following: (a) Provide or maintain plant or systems of work that are so far as is reasonably practicable safe and without risks to health; (b) Make arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and the absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage or transport of plant and substances; (c) Maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, each workplace under the employers management and control in a condition that is safe and without risks to health; (d) Provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, adequate facilities for the welfare of employees at any workplace under the management and control of the employer; or (e) Provide such information, instruction, training or supervision to employees of the employer as is necessary to enable those persons to perform their work in a way that is safe and without risks to health.

3. For the purposes of sub-sections (1) and (2): (a) A reference to an employee includes a reference to an independent contractor engaged by an employer and any employees of the independent contractor; and

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(b) The duties of an employer under those sub-sections extend to an independent contractor engaged by the employer, and any employees of the independent contractor, in relation to matters over which the employer has control or would have had control if not for any agreement purporting to limit or remove that control.

22. Duties of employers to monitor health and conditions1. An employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable:

(a) Monitor the health of the employees of the employer; and (b) Monitor conditions at any workplace under the employers management and control; and (c) Provide information to employees of the employer, (in such languages as are appropriate) concerning health and safety at the workplace, including the names of persons to whom an employee may make an inquiry or complaint about health and safety.

2. An employer must, so far as is reasonably practicable: (a) Keep information and records relating to the health and safety of employees of the employer; and (d) Employ or engage persons who are suitably qualified in relation to occupational health and safety to provide advice to the employer concerning the health and safety of the employees of the employer.

23. Duties of employers to other persons1. An employer must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons other than employees of the

employer are not exposed to risks to their health or safety arising from the conduct if the undertaking of the employer.

26. Duties of persons who manage and control workplaces.A person who (whether as an owner or otherwise) has, to any extent, the management or control or a workplace must ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that the workplace and the means of entering and leaving it are safe and without risks to health.

Common law

Common law consists of a body or rules of traditional origin which have evolved by decisions in courts of law. They are not acts of parliament although many of the principles of common law are embodied in statute law. Basically if an employee is injured and employer negligence was a proven factor then the employer can be held liable to the employee at law.

Employer common law duties To provide proper plant and equipment; To provide a proper and safe method of work; To provide competent and appropriately trained staff; To ensure a safe system or method of work; To provide competent and adequate supervision; and To provide appropriate training to all staff.

Employee common law duties To take reasonable care for their own safety; To keep a proper look out for danger; To use the equipment provided and ensure it is used for its proper use; To follow the system and the method of work laid down; To obey all lawful instructions; and To give proper attention to their work.

Occupational health and safety

Compliance with the occupational health and safety act and regulations

All services performed on behalf of Wodonga Council will be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, regulations and codes of practice and/or compliance codes. The contractors attention is particularly drawn to part three of the act, general duties relating to occupational health and safety.

In particular, and in so far as they involve the responsibilities of contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers, relevant sections of the act.

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Section 21 Duties of employers to employees; 22 Duties of employers to monitor health and conditions; and 23 Duties of employers to other persons.

Contractors must ensure that their employees, sub-contractors and all other persons involved in the service, and suppliers of goods and services are aware of their obligations under the act and take all reasonable steps to comply.

Familiarity with health and safety issuesThe contractor will at all times be familiar