Maintenance and Review of WHS Risk Controls

If all WHS risks in your workplace have been eliminated or controlled (as per the Hierarchy of Control Measures described in the WHS Regulation 2017) then your WHS management system may be at a very good place. This is a reflection of your company's commitment to workplace health and safety.

Risk controls must be maintained and periodically reviewed. These are covered in Clauses 37 and 38 of the WHS Regulation.

Team Work

Maintaining effective risk controls and reviewing risk controls is very dependent on teamwork in your workplace, involving all WHS duty holders:

• PCBU (the business)

• Directors and CEOs (Officers of the PCBU)

• Workers (including supervisors and managers)

• Your customers and visitors (must follow your rules when they attend your premises.)

As you read further below about the actions that are recommended, you may find it useful to consider which people in your workplace should be responsible or involved in that action. And are they suitably knowledgeable and experienced to take effective action?

Maintenance of Control Measures

You can find very useful information about how to maintain WHS controls on page 23 of the Code of Practice, How to Manage Work Health & Safety Risks. In brief, these recommendations are:

• Accountability - managers and supervisors should be provided with the authority and resources to implement control measures and ensure procedures are followed and maintained effectively.

• Maintenance checks - check that control measures are suitable, are set up and used correctly, and regularly inspection and testing carried out, and repair or replacement of damaged or worn plant and equipment.

• Up-to-date training and competency – Control measures, particularly lower level controls, depend on all workers and supervisors having the appropriate competencies to do the job safely. Training should be provided to maintain competencies and to ensure new workers are capable of working safely.

• Up-to-date hazard information – Information about hazards, such as plant and substances, may be updated by manufacturers and suppliers and should be checked to make sure controls are still relevant. New technology may provide more effective solutions than were previously available. Changes to operating conditions or the way activities are carried out may also mean that control measures need to be updated.

• Regular review and consultation – Control measures are more effective where there is regular review of work procedures and consultation with your workers and their representatives.”

Review of Control Measures

Page 24 of the Code of Practice How to Manage Work Health & Safety Risks, has useful guidance about how to do a review:

“Consult your workers and their health and safety representatives and consider the following questions:

• Are the control measures working effectively in both their design and operation?

• Have the control measures introduced new problems?

• Have all hazards been identified?

• Have new work methods, new equipment or chemicals made the job safer?

• Are safety procedures being followed?

• Has the instruction and training provided to workers on how to work safely been successful?

• Are workers actively involved in identifying hazards and possible control measures?

• Are they openly raising health and safety concerns and reporting problems promptly?

• Is the frequency and severity of health and safety incidents reducing over time?

• new legislation or new information becomes available, does it indicate current controls may no longer be the most effective?”

We hope you will find this useful and use the information from this Code of Practice in your business to maintain the good work you have already put in to manage WHS risks and hazards at your workplaces.

5th November 2019 (revised 31 July 2024)