Safety Management Systems are now compulsory for Major Hazard Facilities

New Commonwealth regulations covering the high risks of Major Hazard Facilities commence in March 2007. Safety Concepts has had a close look at the detail and discovered there is a big shock in store for the unprepared. From March it is a requirement for employers in charge of major hazard facilities to have in place their own Safety Management Systems.

If a workplace is classified as a major hazard facility the employer in control is required to have in place and working the appropriate Safety Management Systems. The Safety Management System must demonstrate that hazards and key risks are identified and understood. It must then show that controls are in place and working to manage these risks.

The changes are contained in new Commonwealth regulations which come in on 15 March 2007 and that put effect to the national standard for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities declared by NOHSC in 1996 (Part 9).  The regulations also impose duties on an employer in control of a business for notification, classification and licensing of a major hazard facility. On notification the Commission will decide whether a facility should be classified as a major hazard facility.

What does that mean? Well, Safety Concepts found that once classified as a major hazard facility the employer in control is required to obtain a license to operate the facilty or a certificate of compliance and among other things they must implement a Safety Management System. Of course the changes are all designed to assist the national standard controls eliminate the causes of major accidents and limit their impact on the environment, the community and employees, which has to be in everyones interest.