Procedure: Work health and safety monitoring and testing

Purpose

This procedure describes how the Australian National University (ANU) establishes, implements and maintains monitoring and testing processes for the work health and safety, rehabilitation and claims management systems. This procedure aligns with the requirements for monitoring of the Work Health Safety Act 2011 (Cth) (WHS Act), the Work Health Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) (WHS Regulations), the National Audit Tool and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (Cth). This procedure is linked to the University’s Work Health and Safety policy and is one of the WHS Management System procedures.

Definitions

Local area is the College, Research School or Service Division.

National Audit Tool (NAT) requirements refer to the National Self Insurer Work Health and Safety rehabilitation and claims audit tools.

Worker is anyone who carries out work for the University and include staff, Visiting and Honorary Appointments (VaHA), volunteers, titleholders, affiliates, labour hiring workers, student gaining work experience and contractors of ANU. Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students may be ANU workers depending on their role but they are covered under the scope of this Procedure.

The Work Health and Safety Management System (WHSMS) Handbook provides practical guidance for University and its local areas on how to implement the University WHS Management System and defines the responsibilities and actions required by management and workers within the management system.

Procedure

Scope

1. Procedure applies to all inspections, testing and monitoring programs to support WHS processes such as:

• workplace inspections;
• procedure reviews for legal compliance;
• plant and equipment inspections including engineering controls such as emergency stops and alarms;
• workplace and personal monitoring such as noise, temperature, light, fumes;
• health monitoring; and
• calibration of health and safety monitoring devices.

Workplace inspections

2. The University has workplace inspection templates available in Figtree for the following types of inspection:

• high risk area inspections; and
• low risk area inspections.

3. All local areas conduct workplace inspections frequently in accordance with WHSMS Handbook Chapter 4.1 section 4.1.2.1 requirements. Additional or more frequent inspections are conducted if high risk equipment is present as per high risk licences or as changes occur in the workplace. The local area generates a workplace inspection schedule as a part of the Local WHS Plan to include all areas, when and which inspectors/workers/supervisors will be involved in the inspections.
4. The workplace inspections can be delegated by the Dean or Director to any role, a team and/or to a local WHS Committee.
5. The workplace inspections seek input and involvement from the workers who undertake the tasks in the area being inspected. The names of the workers participating in the inspection are recorded on the inspection record.
6. All actions identified in the inspection are recorded in Figtree as per the WHS actions procedure.
7. All actions are monitored and reported to the relevant Dean/Director and WHS Committee until closed out/completed and do not become overdue as per the WHS management review and WHS actions procedures.

This section of the procedure is fully explained in and supplemented by WHSMS Handbook Chapter 4.1 Workplace Inspections.

Procedure reviews

8. All health and safety procedures are reviewed for legal compliance as stated in the WHS documentation procedure and at a minimum of every three years.

Plant and equipment inspections including engineering controls

9. There are three levels of inspections for plant and equipment at the University:

• pre-use inspections/checklists conducted by the user (e.g. for lifting gear, guarding, tools and forklifts, or as required and indicated in the operating manual for any equipment);
• scheduled inspections conducted by the Facilities and Services Division or local area; and
• scheduled specialist inspections by external third parties (e.g. pressure boiler inspections, cranes and lifting gear).

10. All plant and equipment is registered into the MAXIMO maintenance system as per the Plant/Equipment Safety Management procedure. The Facilities and Services Division is responsible for maintaining the MAXIMO system.
11. All scheduled inspections of plant, equipment and engineering controls in the MAXIMO maintenance system are initiated via work orders. If local areas do not use the MAXIMO maintenance system, they ensure the scheduled inspection is recorded in Local WHS Plan.
12. All inspection reports and any associated certificates of compliance (COCs) or calibration records associated with inspections are stored in the MAXIMO system or the ERMS (for the local areas not using the MAXIMO system) or another equivalent system approved by the University.

Workplace and personal monitoring

13. Workplace, personal and health monitoring frequency and exposure levels are defined by the WHS Act, WHS Regulations and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (Cth).
14. The WEG ensures that all health monitoring records are stored in the Electronic Records Management System (ERMS) and made available to the relevant workers as required. Records are stored for 30 years as indicated in the WHS Regulations.
15. School Directors and Division Directors or delegate will ensure all monitoring results, except health monitoring, in relation to workplaces under their control are stored electronically and made available to the relevant workers as required.

Monitoring results outside acceptable exposure levels

16. Should a deviation in the exposure level be detected the following steps occur:

• stop the work, notify the supervisor and report an incident as per the WHS incident management procedure; and
• investigate the incident in accordance with WHS incident management procedure.

Calibration of monitoring and testing equipment

17. All equipment used for WHS monitoring and testing is calibrated and fit for purpose prior to using. All monitoring and testing equipment is listed on the Local WHS Plan.
18. All equipment or instruments that are supplied by third parties for WHS monitoring and testing are only used after evidence of the calibration and maintenance records are cited and deemed satisfactory by the respective supervisor.
19. All equipment and instruments used for WHS monitoring are stored in locations that are secure and safe from unintentional damage.
20. A copy of the manufacturer’s manual is kept with all monitoring and testing equipment to guide the appropriate usage.
21. All calibration records are kept according to the WHS Regulations and the WHS documentation procedure.
22. For monitoring and testing equipment under the control of the Facilities and Services Division, the calibration records are stored in the MAXIMO maintenance management system. For monitoring and testing equipment under the control of WEG, the calibration records are stored on the WEG drive.

Health monitoring

23. All situations where workers are exposed to hazard(s) with the potential to affect their health and wellbeing are identified in the WHS hazard registers as per the WHS hazard management procedure.
24. All workers requiring health monitoring are identified in WHS Local Training Plan Part D.
25. The health monitoring procedure describes how local areas set up a health monitoring program with the assistance from the WEG.

Training and competency

26. Plant and equipment inspections for licensed equipment are only conducted by persons with an appropriate licence.
27. Workplace and personal monitoring is only conducted by persons with training and competency for the specific monitoring and testing device to be used.
28. Calibrations are only performed by persons with competency as described in the manufacturer’s manuals.

Sources

Refer to ANU WHS Legal and Other Requirements Matrix.