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Purchasing and OHSW

Purpose

This procedure outlines the requirements under the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986 and the WorkCover Performance Standards for Self Insurers (Measure 3 element 8), for ensuring that OHSW considerations are included in the selection criteria when purchasing, hiring, leasing or designing plant, equipment or substances. This procedure should be read in conjunction with the Finance Unit’s Procurement Handbook.

Definitions

Hazard – is a situation that has the potential to harm a person, the environment or damage property.

Plant – is defined in the OHS&W Act, 1986 as including any machinery, equipment, appliance, implement or tool, and any component, fitting, connection, mounting or accessory used in any workplace. It does not include any equipment that is both hand held and hand powered.

Hazardous Substance – is a substance that contains ingredients that may be harmful to health in the medium or long term. This includes substances that are lethal and non-lethal - corrosive, toxic, irritant, sensitising, mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic. The concentration level of each ingredient in a mixture is taken into account in determining whether the mixture as a whole is determined to be hazardous.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) – are information sheets that provide technical information in relation to substances. These sheets are obtained directly from the manufacturer or through the University ChemWatch MSDS database. Be aware of the possible differences between the manufacturer’s and generic MSDS’s.

Purchaser – means a person initiating a purchase, hire, or lease or authorised to approve a purchase, hire or lease, or authorised to initiate the design of plant or equipment for the University.

Roles and Responsibilities

Line Managers are responsible for:

OHSW Services are responsible for:

Staff are responsible for:

Procedure

Staff involved with the purchase, hire, lease or design of plant, equipment or substances are to ensure that all OHSW considerations including legislative requirements have been considered prior to the purchase, arranging a lease, or designing plant or equipment.

OHSW consideration is to be given when purchases could impact on any of the following elements:

The above list is not meant to be exhaustive given the diverse range of activities undertaken at the University but they highlight the key areas for consideration during the procurement process.

Potential hazards associated with the purchase, hire lease, or design of plant and equipment or substances are to be identified and evaluated prior to purchase or design using form OHSW79 - Pre-purchase Checklist, Design, Plant and Substances.

The following hierarchy of controls and their principles should be applied when considering the purchase, hire, lease, or design of plant, equipment and substances:

Requisitions/orders for the supply of hazardous substances must include provision for the supplier to provide the appropriate MSDS and notification of any change in formulation if the MSDS is not already available.

Once a purchase has been completed the purchaser must ensure that the item is entered within 2 business days into the relevant register(s) identified in the procedures for Hazard Management for plant and Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods for substances.

Purchase orders or design specifications are to include requirements of legislation, Australian/New Zealand Standards and Codes of Practice relevant to plant or equipment along with any special OHSW requirements identified during the hazard evaluation process.

Technical advice concerning applicable legislation, Australian/New Zealand Standards or Codes of Practice can be obtained from OHSW Services.

The procedure for ensuring health and safety requirements in specifications for services, tendering processes, contract documents and contractors OHSW records are incorporated in the Contractor Management Procedure.

Evaluation

Upon receipt of the plant, equipment or substance a formal check against the purchase order specifications or design specifications is to be conducted. Any control measures identified by the pre-purchase risk assessment are to be implemented prior to or on receipt of goods.

Performance Measures

Documents/Forms

References

Revised: 1 June 2007

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