Chapter 5.1 – Specific Plant

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Purpose

The purpose of this Policy and Procedure is to provide guidelines and information to effectively control risks associated with plant (plant, machinery, tools and equipment).

Scope

This Policy and Procedure applies to all workers of our company and visitors including contractors, sub-contractors, apprentices, trainees, work experience students, volunteers and clients.

Policy Statement

All major plant brought onto site must undergo a “Plant Condition Verification” prior to being used on the site. Prior notice must be given to the Site Supervisor prior to delivery to ensure resources can be allocated to undertake the inspection.

At each set 3 month interval, all plant and machinery are required to be re-inspected using the “Plant Condition Verification” Each subcontractor must maintain their own plant/equipment register for all items on the site.

An operator must ensure documentation of training and competency is supplied to the Principal Contractor (PC) for all relevant plant and equipment operators. Use the “Plant Operator Competency” form.

The operator assigned to a machine is to carry out daily checks of all plant. A record of each daily check is to be recorded in the machine’s daily log book. All leaks, adjustments & repairs are to be attended to immediately and repairs carried out by a competent person.

Makeshift repairs will not be accepted. All damage or faulty equipment is to be locked and tagged out as per the PC Lock Out/Tag Out procedure until repaired by a competent person/removed from the site.

Compressed cylinders (oxygen, acetylene etc.) must be adequately secured and/or separated to prevent damage from falls. Flashback arrestors are to be fitted at the bottle and also at the handpiece and are to be tested or replaced at intervals not exceeding 12 months.

Our company is solely responsible for receipt of its own deliveries.

Procedure

Standards

All plant should be designed, manufactured and used according to an approved standard (eg. Australian and International Standard). These standards identify safety design and engineering requirements for plant.

If an item of plant does not carry an approved standards label, specific information on its design, manufacture and use should be obtained and compared with known standards.

Testing and assessments should occur through the commissioning process in these situations. Advice should also be sought from professional bodies and industry groups.

Risk Assessment

Risk assessments should be undertaken and identified risks controlled. Individual plant risk issues are not dealt with in this procedure. Each item must be assessed separately to determine the appropriate control measures. Always conduct a risk assessment before any controls are implemented and a risk assessment after the controls are implemented to ensure the risk has been reduced.

When assessing potential risks and hazards associated with specific plant considerations should be given to the following points:

  • Commissioning, Decommissioning, Demolition and Disposal of plant;
  • Electrical, Radiation & Thermal Energy;
  • Emergency Procedures;
  • Hazardous Substances & Dangerous goods;
  • Installation or Erection;
  • Machine Guarding;
  • Maintenance, Repairs and Servicing;
  • Manual Handling;
  • Noise and Vibration;
  • Personal Protective Equipment;
  • Work Environment;
  • Work Practices and Procedures; and
  • Relevant Australian and International Standards.

Commissioning

Commissioning is a process of verification. This involves an extensive check carried out during the trial phase, prior to the plant being accepted for use. It ensures that the plant performs according to the design criteria and is a process, agreed to by the manufacturer or Supplier. The extent and complexity of the commissioning will vary between items of plant.

  • Persons involved in the commissioning of the plant should include:
  • Manufacturers and/or suppliers;
  • Managers;
  • Workplace Health and Safety Coordinator;
  • Supervisors;
  • Workshop staff; and
  • Operators or employees who will use the plant.

Commissioning methods should:

  • Be in accordance with the manufacturer’s / supplier’s specifications;
  • Not impose stresses which exceed the limitations of design capabilities;
  • Include tests to ensure that the plant will perform to its design specifications, e.g. dummy runs;
  • Include typical maintenance checks used by the operator and service personnel; and
  • Be documented;

The results of the commissioning should include:​

  • Information about any problems identified during commissioning that suggest the plant cannot be operated safely; and
  • Confirmation that the plant will perform the task for which it has been purchased.
  • Specified High-Risk Plant (Air conditioning Units, Amusement Devices, Cooling Towers, Escalators, LP Gas Cylinders and Lifts) need to be assessed if they are required to be registered with WHSQ. (Refer to WHS Registration Procedure).
  • All Specified High-Risk Plant needs to meet the requirements outlined in the relevant Australian and International Standards.

Maintenance & Repairs

Plant should be serviced and repaired according to the manufacturer’s requirements. Maintenance can be conducted in several distinct ways. These are:

  • Planned Maintenance – Maintenance and servicing carried out at predetermined intervals and with planned criteria and actions. A scheduled maintenance routine, usually activated by time, kilometres, work hours, etc.
  • Unplanned Maintenance – Reactive maintenance, includes minor repairs if the operation or safety is not seriously affected but is necessary to prevent any further deterioration of its condition. A risk assessment should be carried out to determine if it is necessary to remove the plant from service; and
  • Refer to the ‘Inspection Matrix’ for routine inspections of various items of Plant.
  • All mechanical faults should be documented and reported to the Mechanical Workshop Supervisor for repairs;
  • If any plant is considered damaged, faulty or in need of repair, an ‘Out of Service’ tag is to be fitted by the person who considers the plant damaged or faulty and returned to the workshop for repair;
  • The Workshop Supervisor has the authority to remove the ‘Out of Service’ tag for repairing the item of plant;
  • If a concern is raised in relation to plant, initial steps should focus on identification of the cause and whether the concern is safety, mechanical or electrical related. Further investigation should be conducted by the Safety Advisor (SA) in conjunction with the Supervisor or Workshop Supervisor; and
  • Incidents, damage, or theft must be immediately reported to your Supervisor. These incidents may require an investigation by police, SA, Insurance Companies or others, depending on the circumstances.

Permit To Work System

Permit to work systems should be considered when conducting work on the specific plant in confined spaces or when conducting hot work.

Training

  • Any person who uses an item of plant must have the necessary competencies;
  • All relevant certificates and licences are to be checked and recorded in a register;
  • If a person cannot demonstrate competency or feels that they cannot operate the item of plant re-training is necessary; the records are to be kept for 5 years.

Process:

  1. A specific work instruction is to be developed for the operation of plant;
  2. If our company is to design and construct plant (eg. attachment cage for the forklift), they have the duty as a designer and manufacturer of plant. Therefore, this would mean the equipment would need engineer approval and a certification plate attached. In addition, the forklift would need a new certification rating of its correct lift load;
  3. Heavy plant and machinery need to be checked regularly and recorded in a logbook (usually daily pre-start checklist is required);
  4. If maintenance is conducted in the field on the small plant such as chainsaws, this maintenance must be recorded in a logbook;
  5. If there is an incident associated with plant, supervisors and employees will be required to complete an Incident Report Form;
  6. Appropriate information that states the use for which the plant has been designed and tested and the conditions that must be followed to ensure the safe use of that plant;
  7. Maintenance and manufacturer’s manuals are to be kept on all relevant plant and equipment;
  8. Plant is to be used and maintained according to manufacturers guidelines, inspected and checked for any faults;
  9. Specific inspection checklists may need to be designed for the plant, such as vehicle hoists;
  10. Noise levels of plant, especially ageing plant need to be conducted periodically and recorded in the Noise Register;
  11. Staff are to be advised of the reporting requirements through conducting a toolbox talk and issuing the Take 5 paper for a variety of topics; and
  12. Supervisors are to regularly check if the plant is being operated correctly.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities for plant are delegated to relevant Managers, Supervisors, HSR’s and selected staff as identified.

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 places health and safety duties on designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers, installers, and erectors. Plant standards and operation must follow strict guidelines to comply with legislation.

  • A manufacturer of plant must ensure that the plant is constructed to be safe and without risk when used properly, that the plant has undergone appropriate testing and examination and that all reasonable steps have been undertaken to ensure that appropriate information is available.
  • A supplier of plant or high-risk plant must ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to make available appropriate information about the safe use of plant.
  • An installer or erector of plant or high-risk plant must ensure that they install or erect plant in a way that it is safe and without risk to health when it is used correctly.
  • An operator, worker and another person at a workplace must:
  • Comply with the instructions for health and safety given by their Supervisor;
  • Not wilfully or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided, ensuring the healthy and safe use of plant at the workplace;
  • Not wilfully injure themselves; and
  • For a worker, use PPE if the employer provides the equipment and the worker is properly instructed on its use.
  • Supervisors are to ensure where the plant is being used in a workplace that:
  • Employees are certified operators and hold relevant tickets for the plant, where required.
  • Employees are made aware of the manufacturer’s instructions and our company procedures for plant operation.
  • When the plant is provided by someone other than the. (eg. hire company), the risk of injury or illness from the plant is minimised when it is used correctly.

Documentation

  • Australian & International Standards that provide Guidance
  • Inspection Matrix
  • Register of Plant
  • Plant Commissioning/De-commissioning Record
  • ‘Equipment Hire’ procedure
  • ‘Purchasing & Supplier Control’ procedure
  • ‘Preferred Suppliers’ and/or ‘Standing Offer Arrangements’.
  • ‘Hazardous Substances & Dangerous Goods Management’ procedure
  • PPE Management’
  • Hot Work

Definition

Specific Plant covers items of plant, machinery, tools and equipment. This includes:

  • Machinery, equipment, appliance, pressure vessel, implement and tool;
  • Personal protective equipment;
  • A component of plant and a fitting, accessory or additions to plant; and
  • Scaffolding at a workplace;

Specified high-risk plant means:

  • Air conditioning Units;
  • Amusement Devices;
  • Cooling Towers;
  • Escalators;
  • LP Gas Cylinders; and
  • Lifts.

Air Conditioning Unit means a unit of plant that provides air conditioning and that either:

  • Incorporates a cooling tower; or
  • Consists of 1 or more compressors with a power rating of 50kW or more to operate the air conditioning unit.

Amusement device means a device:

  • Used for commercial purposes; and
  • used or designed to be used for amusement, games, recreation, sightseeing or entertainment, and on which persons may be carried, raised, lowered or supported by any part of the device (eg. a car, carriage, platform, cage, boat, plank, chair or seat) while the part of the device is in motion).

Cooling Tower means a device for lowering the temperature of water by evaporative cooling in which atmospheric air passes through sprayed water exchanging heat and includes a device incorporating a refrigerant or water heat exchanger.

Fail-Safe means, that when partial or total failure of the plant occurs, the plant fails in a manner that leaves the plant in a safe condition.

LP Gas Cylinder means a cylinder with a water capacity of more than 0.1kg that contains liquefied petroleum gas under pressure.

Lift means any machinery:

  • having a platform or cage the direction or movement of which is restricted by a guide or guides; and
  • used or designed for use for raising or lowering persons, goods or materials (and includes any and all machinery, supports and enclosures) and all equipment of them (whether or not detachable) used or designed for use for operating a lift.

Supervisor - a person involved with the management or control of a workplace (eg. supervisor, the person in charge or ganger).