WorkSafe Victoria Changes to Compliance codes

This article seeks to explain the importance of WorkSafe Victoria Compliance codes and provide an updated list with brief overview and links relating to the Compliance codes.

WorkSafe has recently made some amendments to 11 of its 16 Compliance codes for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The minor amendments were made to reflect other minor amendments to legal duties relating to consultation, to improve the style and branding consistency across the existing codes and to make some minor corrections. A summary of changes can be found here.

Compliance codes form part of the Victorian compliance framework for occupational health and safety. The compliance codes provide duty holders with practical guidance on how to comply with their legal requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations). While the guidance provided in a compliance code is not mandatory, a duty holder who complies with a code will to the extent it deals with their duties or obligations under the OHS Act and OHS Regulations be considered to have complied with those duties or obligations.

Current list of OHS Compliance codes with edition number/issue date and brief overview
Communicating occupational health and safety across languages (Edition 1 September 2008)
This compliance code has 28 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your duties or obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation to communicate OHS matters in appropriate languages.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-communicating-occupational-health-and-safety-across-languages

• Confined spaces (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 48 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation when your work involves confined spaces.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-confined-spaces

• Demolition (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 52 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation when your work involves demolition sites.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-demolition

• Excavation (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 64 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation when your work involves excavation.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-excavation

• Facilities in construction (Edition 1 March 2018)

This compliance code has 20 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation to provide workplace facilities at construction sites.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-facilities-construction

• First aid facilities in the workplace (Edition 1 September 2008)

This compliance code  has 32 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation to provide first aid facilities in your workplace.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-first-aid-workplace

• Foundries (Edition 1 September 2008)

This compliance code has 58 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation when your work involves foundries.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-foundries

• Hazardous manual handling (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 64 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation to manage risks associated with hazardous manual handling.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-hazardous-manual-handling

• Hazardous substances (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 52 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation when your work involves the use of hazardous substances.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-hazardous-substances

• Managing asbestos in workplaces (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 124 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation to manage risks associated with exposure to asbestos in your workplace.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-managing-asbestos-workplaces

• Noise (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 48 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation to manage risks associated with workplace noise exposure.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-noise

• Plant (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 92 pages provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation when your work involves plant.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-plant

• Prevention of falls in general construction (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 76 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation to manage risks associated with falls in general construction.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-prevention-falls-in-general-construction

• Prevention of falls in housing construction (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 76 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation to manage risks associated with falls in housing construction.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-prevention-falls-housing-construction

• Removing asbestos in workplaces (Edition 2 December 2019)

This compliance code has 160 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation when your work involves removing asbestos.
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-removing-asbestos-workplaces

• Workplace amenities and work environment (Edition 1 September 2008)

This compliance code has 48 pages and provides practical guidance on how to comply with your obligations under Victoria's occupational health and safety legislation to provide employees with workplace facilities.

https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/compliance-code-workplace-amenities-and-work-environment

WorkSafe Victoria has also commenced work to review and revise the First aid facilities in the workplace Compliance code. The aim is for the newly amended code to be made in August 2020 Further details will be made available when this has been completed. https://engage.vic.gov.au/first-aid-workplace-compliance-code-review

Further information regarding Compliance codes can be found here https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/compliance-codes-and-codes-practice