Review of the
NSW Workplace Health and Safety
Strategy 2005-2008
Chris Jones
A/Manager - Strategic Projects Unit
WorkCover NSW
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NSW Workplace Safety Summit 2005
 Over 250 people attended the NSW Workplace Safety
Summit 2005 in Orange in August last year.
 Nine industry groups worked together with the intention
of:
•Reviewing information about significant areas of safety risk
•Identifying priority safety issues
•Developing strategies for addressing these priority issues
•Agreeing on targets and benchmarks to support these prevention
strategies.
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NSW Workplace Health and Safety
Strategy 2005-2008
 In response to the
recommendations arising from the
Summit, the NSW Government
released the Strategy.
 The Strategy describes how
employers, employees and
Government can work together to:
•Provide healthier working environments
•Reduce the incidence and cost of work
related injury and illness.
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The Industry Action Plans
 The recommendations of Safety Summit delegates are
expressed in the Industry Action Plans, which are
published in the second section of the Strategy.
 There is an Industry Action Plan for each of nine industry
groups:
-
Construction
Consumer and business services and private education
Public sector
Health and community services
Manufacturing
Mining and utilities
Retail and wholesale
Rural
Transport
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NSW Workplace Health and Safety
Strategy Review Committee
 The Industry Action Plans are reviewed by a
Manufacturing Industry Action Plan Working Group.
 The Working Group is chaired by John Watson (General
Manager of WorkCover’s OHS Division), and includes
representatives from:
• National Union of Workers)
• Australian Manufacturing Workers Union)
• Plastics and Chemicals Industry Association
• Australian Industry Group
• Textile Footwear and Clothing Union
• Australian Steel Institute
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Priority Issues
 Each of the Industry Action Plans consists of a number of
Priority Issues.
 The Priority Issues for the Manufacturing Industry Action
Plan are:
• Manual handling
• Noise reduction
• Safety culture
• Safe design
• Chemical and substance (air quality) exposure
• Transient workers
• Outworkers
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Manual handling
 Manual Handling Summit Response Program
 Fabricated metals industry working party
 Manual handling in the red meat industry
 Workplace Improvement Strategies
 Wood products manufacturing industry
 HWSA: Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing industry
 Printing industry
 Australian Paint Manufacturers Federation code of practice for
identifying the weight in paint cans.
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Noise reduction
 Noise management in the construction industry
 Noise: Management and protection of hearing at
work Code of Practice
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Safety Culture
 Serious about Safe Business kit
 Manufacturing IRG project
 PACIA provides the Plascare safety systems
 AIG project to improve the effectiveness of the
consultation working arrangements
 NSW Business Chamber training workshops on
risk assessment and consultation.
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Safe Design
 ASCC Guidance on the Principles of Safe Design
for Work, educator resources for engineering
students, and other resources.
 WorkCover’s Plant Priority Program
 Plant position papers
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Chemical exposure
 Control of Workplace Hazardous Substances Code of
Practice
 Intervention projects in the wood manufacturing,
fabricated metal and machinery and equipment
manufacturing sectors
 HWSA campaign in the boat building and repair sector
 PACIA resources and codes of practice
 AMWU resources
 Australian Paint Manufacturers Federation participation
on NICNAS / Industry Consultancy Group.
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Transient workers
 Fact sheets for labour hire agencies and host
employers
 WorkCover / AMWU discussions about options
 Recruitment and Consulting Services Association
(RCSA) online induction training system
 HWSA intervention campaign aimed at
implementing a national model for jurisdictional
application of OHS obligations
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Outworkers
 Provide input into the review of the OHS
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 to
remove “employer workplace” restrictions
regarding outworkers.
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