Work Health and Safety (Abrasive Blasting) Code of Practice 2015 (Cth)

Work Health and Safety (Abrasive Blasting) Code of Practice 2015

made under the

Work Health and Safety Act 2011, section 274 (Approved Codes of Practice)

1 Name of instrument

This instrument is the Work Health and Safety (Abrasive Blasting) Code of Practice 2015.

2 Commencement

This instrument commences on the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

3 Code of Practice Approval

I approve the Abrasive Blasting Code of Practice. I am satisfied that this code of practice was developed by a process described in section 274(2) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (the Act).

4. Revocation

I revoke the Work Health and Safety Codes of Practice 2011 and Work Health and Safety Codes of Practice 2012. The contents of these codes will be remade as separate instruments, consistent with the process described in section 274(2) of the Act.

Michaelia Cash Minister for Employment

17 December 2015

Date

ABRASIVE BLASTING

Code of Practice

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD Scope and application 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 What is abrasive blasting? 1.2 Who has health and safety duties in relation to abrasive blasting? 1.3 What is required to manage risks associated with abrasive blasting? 2. THE RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS 2.1 Identifying the hazards 2.2 Assessing the risks 2.3 Controlling the risks 2.4 Reviewing control measures 3. SPECIFIC HAZARDS AND CONTROL MEASURES 3.1 Prohibited and restricted chemicals 3.2 Dust 3.3 Particulate matter 3.4 Abrasive blasting plant and equipment 3.5 Recycling of blast material 3.6 Disposal of waste 4. OTHER HAZARDS AND CONTROL MEASURES 4.1 Noise 4.2 Heat 4.3 Vibration 4.4 Manual tasks 4.5 Confined spaces APPENDIX A – SELECTING AN ABRASIVE BLASTING MEDIUM

FOREWORD This Code of Practice on abrasive blasting is an approved code of practice under section 274 of the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act. An approved code of practice is a practical guide to achieving the standards of health, safety and welfare required under the WHS Act and the Work Health and Safety Regulations (the WHS Regulations). A code of practice applies to anyone who has a duty of care in the circumstances described in the code. In most cases, following an approved code of practice would achieve compliance with the health and safety duties in the WHS Act, in relation to the subject matter of the code. Like regulations, codes of practice deal with particular issues and do not cover all hazards or risks which may arise. The health and safety duties require duty holders to consider all risks associated with work, not only those for which regulations and codes of practice exist. Codes of practice are admissible in court proceedings under the WHS Act and Regulations. Courts may regard a code of practice as evidence of what is known about a hazard, risk or control and may rely on the code in determining what is reasonably practicable in the circumstances to which the code relates. Compliance with the WHS Act and Regulations may be achieved by following another method, such as a technical or an industry standard, if it provides an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety than the code. An inspector may refer to an approved code of practice when issuing an improvement or prohibition notice.