WorkSafe Victoria have recently issued seven new compliance codes

Compliance codes form part of the Victorian compliance framework for occupational health and safety. The compliance codes provide duty holders with practical guidance on how to comply with their legal requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations). While the guidance provided in a compliance code is not mandatory, a duty holder who complies with a code will to the extent it deals with their duties or obligations under the OHS Regulations be considered to have complied with those duties or obligations.

Seven new codes that align to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations have been published and are now available.
The seven codes are:

• Demolition;
• Excavation;
• Hazardous manual handling;
• Facilities in construction;
• Confined spaces;
• Plant; and
• Noise.

The codes and guidance were reviewed to ensure they reflected modern work practices and hazards, and the duties in the OHS Act and the OHS Regulations.

There are five more codes in draft form, that have been consulted on and are due to be available by the end of June 2018.

• The five draft codes are:
• Hazardous substances;
• Managing asbestos in workplaces;
• Removing asbestos in workplaces;
• Prevention of falls in housing construction; and
• Prevention of falls in general construction.

It is highly recommended that organisations access the relevant codes to determine what, if any, changes need to be made to systems of work.

Further information, including how to download the various codes is available from https://consultation.worksafe.vic.gov.au/about-compliance-codes-review