Five new work health and safety Codes of Practice have been opened for a 12-week public comment period.

 

The Codes released for public comment today are: 

  • Safe Design, Manufacture, Import and Supply of Plant
  • Working in the Vicinity of Overhead and Underground Electrical Lines
  • Traffic Management in Workplaces
  • Scaffolding Work, and
  • Formwork and Falsework.

 

The Chair of Safe Work Australia, Mr Tom Phillips AM said that the public comment period provides businesses, industry, workers and the wider community with the opportunity to contribute to work health and safety issues that directly affect their workplaces and working lives.

 

“Despite significant improvement in work health and safety in recent years, there is still more that can be done to keep our nation’s workers free from work-related death, injury and illness.

 

“The Codes of Practice will provide businesses across Australia with important practical guidance to achieving the standards of health, safety and welfare required under the work health and safety (WHS) laws.”

 

This is the third set of Codes of Practice developed to support the WHS Act and Regulations. They are part of a suite of documents being developed by Safe Work Australia, the Commonwealth, states and territories, unions and employers as part of harmonised work health and safety laws across Australia.

 

The public comment period for these Codes of Practice will close on 22 June 2012.

 

For more information on how to submit comments or on the work health and safety laws, visitwww.safeworkaustralia.gov.au.