Safe Work Australia
Encyclopedia
Safe Work Australia began its operations as an independent agency on 1 November 2009. It is responsible for the improvements in work health and safety and workers’ compensation arrangements across the whole of Australia. Safe Work Australia also gives effect to the Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety. Prior to becoming an independent agency, Safe Work Australia existed as different types of agencies as well as different organizational names.
and risk
to eliminate or minimize the risk
of death and injury throughout the life of the product.
Safe Design is important to people who are involved with designing and modifying products, structures and processes used for work. Guidance has been developed to guide organizations in understanding the principles of Safe Design.
have followed the same model which also includes the Regulatory and Codes of Practice. As a result Safe Work Australia’s responsibility and roles are consistent throughout the nation.
History of Safe Work Australia
| Safe Work Australia (Independent Statutory Agency) | 1 November 2009 – Present |
| Safe Work Australia (Executive Agency) | July 2009 - October 2009 |
| Safe Work Australia (group within the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations) | April 2009 - June 2009 |
| Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) | October 2005 - March 2009 |
| National Occupational Health and Safety Council (NOHSC) | December 1985 - September 2005 |
Strategic and Operation Plans
The Safe Work Australia Act 2008 requires a strategic plan to be prepared at least once every three years. Safe Work Australia is also required to prepare an operational plan each financial year, outlining the tasks or operations undertaken by Safe Work Australia in performing its functions.Objectives
The aims of Safe Work Australia are ultimately to:- Reduce the impact of riskRiskRisk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
at work - Improve the capacity of managers of work health and safety effectively
- Prevent occupational disease more effectively
- Eliminate hazardsHazardsHazards is the only independent, union-friendly magazine to win major international awards. A recurring theme in the magazine is that workplace unions are the best hope for better, safer work - and Hazards says it provides the information and resources to make the union job easier. Hazards looks...
at the design stage - Strengthen the influence on government on work health and safety issues
Collaborations
Safe Work Australia collaborates with the governments of the states and territories, businesses, workers, employer and employee associations and industry groups. These collaborations ensure that the best possible approach to health and safety for all Australian workplaces is achieved. Collaborations exist with:- Australian Forum of Explosives Regulators
- Explosives Legislation
- Hazardous Substances/Dangerous Goods
- Transport and Classification of Explosive and Dangerous Goods
- Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Local Government (DITRSLG)
- National Transport Commission (NTC) (Model Law for Transporting Dangerous Goods
International collaboration
Safe Work Australia is involved in a range of international activities. The objective of activities aims to improve communication with national and international research bodies involving the work health and safety and workers’ compensation. Some of the international bodies that Safe Work Australia works with include:- United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
- International Labour OrganizationInternational Labour OrganizationThe International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
- The Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)
- World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
- European Agency for Safety and Health at WorkEuropean Agency for Safety and Health at WorkThe European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was set up in 1996 in Bilbao, Spain. Its mission is "to make Europe's workplaces safer, healthier and more productive...
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
- Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation , and
- International Organization for StandardizationInternational Organization for StandardizationThe International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
Workers’ Compensation
Safe Work Australia has four essential roles in relations to worker’s compensation. These include;- To develop national policy relating to workers’ compensation
- To undertake research and analysis on all matters relating to worker’s compensation
- To develop proposals relating to harmonizing workers’ compensation arrangements
- To advise the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council on all workers’ compensation matters
Workers’ Compensation Schemes
Each state and territory has their own workers’ compensation scheme. However, the Commonwealth scheme must include:- One for Commonwealth employees and authorities licensed to self-insure under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Commonwealth)
- One for covering seafarers
- One for covering military personnel
Data
The data collected and recorded in regards to worker’s compensation is used in Safe Work Australia’s research and evaluation process. This data enables for a better understanding of the workplace and what issue or precautions are needed to address and demand attention. However, not all cases are able to be collected such as those of:- Temporary disability from occupational injuries and diseases
- Commuting claims
- Claims lodged by the police in Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and military personnel in the Defense Forces - Most occupation injuries occurred on workers of self-employed
- Occupational diseases due to long term exposure to agents or have a long latency period
- Minor injuries
Measures made by Safe Work Australia
Several measures have been made by Safe Work Australia to ensure safety in the workplace.- Publish documents like National Standards and guidance material.
- Promote safe and healthy workplaces to the public sector
- Provide guidance on safe design.
- Provide training and skills to various organizations.
Publishing
National Standards, National Codes of Practices and guidance material for a range of health and safety issues are published by Safe Work Australia. These documents form the basis of a nationally regulatory approach for the safety in the workplace. Below are a selection of numerous publications.National Standards
- Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances [NOHSC:1008(2004)]
- Provides criteria that are essential for determining whether a substance is hazardous.
- National Standard for Synthetic Mineral Fibres [NOHSC:1004(1990)]
- Outline responsibilities and work practices needed when handling synthetic mineral fibers to ensure a safe workplace.
National Codes of Practices
- National Code of Practice for the prevention of Falls in Housing Construction
- Provides advice and practical guidance on ways to eliminate or minimize the riskRiskRisk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
of falls when performing housing construction. - National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets 2nd Edition [NOHSC: 2011 (2003)].
- Provide guidance in preparing Material Safety Data SheetMaterial safety data sheetA Material Safety Data Sheet is a form with data regarding the properties of a particular substance....
.
Public Sector
Safe Work Australia is encouraging the public sector to be more involved in safe and healthy work practices. Safe Work Australia is motivating research in the areas of workers’ compensation, work health and safety and has developed resources and guidance materials to encourage safety in the workplace as a priority in the public sector.Safe Design
Safe Design is a process to identify hazardsHazards
Hazards is the only independent, union-friendly magazine to win major international awards. A recurring theme in the magazine is that workplace unions are the best hope for better, safer work - and Hazards says it provides the information and resources to make the union job easier. Hazards looks...
and risk
Risk
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
to eliminate or minimize the risk
Risk
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
of death and injury throughout the life of the product.
Safe Design is important to people who are involved with designing and modifying products, structures and processes used for work. Guidance has been developed to guide organizations in understanding the principles of Safe Design.
Training and skills
Safe Work Australia provides training and skills in the development of effective work health and safety guidelines to various organizations through publishing training resources. Besides that, work health and safety training is available through educational institutions, industry associations, training consultants and private work health and safety service organizations.Priority Industries
Safe Work Australia has listed five specific industries as a priority in the National Occupational Health and Safety Strategy. This is due to the constant high numbers of injuries and deaths related to these industries. As a priority, these industries receive an increased amount of attention under the strategy. These industries are listed below.- AgricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, forestryForestryForestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and fishingFishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping.... - ConstructionConstructionIn the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
- ManufacturingManufacturingManufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
- MiningMiningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
- Retail trade
Modeling Work Health and Safety Legislation
The operations of Safe Work Australia are act as a model for work health and safety law under the Australian Government Council. Different states and territories in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
have followed the same model which also includes the Regulatory and Codes of Practice. As a result Safe Work Australia’s responsibility and roles are consistent throughout the nation.