Plant and Equipment Management

Policy last updated

4 October 2024

Scope

Schools
School councils

Date:: February 2020

Policy

In limited circumstances, schools can apply for a department-approved exemption to the plant and machinery age restriction requirements which are detailed in this policy. This exemption may be requested to allow for middle years (years 9 and 10) students to be permitted to use items classified as restricted for the purposes of curriculum or educational program delivery, where reasonable and necessary. To apply for this exemption or for more information contact the OHS Advisory Service on 1300 074 715 or at safety@education.vic.gov.au

This policy is currently under review and will be undergoing a substantial restructure in 2025. Your thoughts and feedback are invaluable. To contribute to this review, please submit your feedback on this or any other OHS policies directly to the Employee Safety, Wellbeing and Inclusion Division via the OHSMS feedback form.

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that risks associated with plant and equipment within schools are identified and managed.

Summary

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (2004) (Vic) and OHS Regulations 2017 (Vic) require the department to provide or maintain, systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risk to health, including risks related to plant and equipment — for example, machinery, appliances, or tools.
The principal and/or their delegate (as the local management representative) must lead a systematic approach to identify, assess and control hazards associated with plant and equipment in their workplace/s using the Hierarchy of Controls.
Under the OHS Act 2004, employees while at work must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and the safety of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions.
Central and regional offices provide a range of support and services to assist principals and employees to be safe and well, including access to the OHS Advisory Service and local regional officers who can provide free advice to schools on managing risks related to plant and equipment.
Only senior secondary school students who have passed a Restricted Plant Safe Use Competency Test (DOCX) are permitted to use plant items classified as restricted.
Staff and students operating any plant or equipment must be suitably trained and assessed as stated in this procedure, and students must be effectively supervised while using equipment.
The Plant and Equipment Procedure must be followed, and sets out the practical step-by-step instructions for implementing this policy.
This policy forms part of the department’s OHS Management System, see OHS Management System (OHSMS) Overview for further information.

Details

The principal and/or their delegate (in consultation with the Health and Safety Representative (HSR) or employee(s) affected by the relevant plant and equipment) must ensure that:

all plant and equipment are identified and recorded in the Plant and Equipment Register (XLSX) or equivalent, and included in the column titled ‘Hazard’ in the OHS risk register (XLSX) or equivalent, including the level of risk assessed
a risk assessment is completed for each identified hazardous item of plant and equipment documented in the Plant and Equipment Risk Management Form (DOCX) or equivalent
control measures are identified to reduce the risks, that they are implemented and documented in the OHS risk register, and regularly reviewed for effectiveness
where the control measures include development of procedures for safe operation of plant and equipment, a Safe Work Procedure Template (DOCX) is completed and displayed adjacent to the item of plant or equipment.

In defining and keeping the control measures up to date, the principal and/or their delegate (in consultation with HSRs and relevant staff), and employees working with plant and equipment, must ensure:

employees are competent to use high risk plant and equipment in their facilities by maintaining relevant qualifications and registrations, including maintaining records of any licences – see the Plant and Equipment Procedure
employees are trained and training records are maintained – see the OHS Induction and Training Policy
records of inspections and maintenance are maintained for each item of plant and equipment, and the OHS risk register (XLSX) is kept up to date
contractors engaged to undertake maintenance are managed as per the Contractor OHS Management Policy
prior to the purchase or acquisition of new plant and equipment, the OHS Purchasing Checklist (DOCX) is completed
unsafe plant or equipment are isolated and tagged as per the Equipment Isolation and Tag Out Policy.

Definitions

Plant
Under the OHS Act 2004, 'plant' includes:

any machinery equipment, appliance, implement and tool
any component of any of those things
anything fitted, connected or related to any of those things.

Hierarchy of Controls
There are a number of ways that risks associated with hazards can be reduced however, the effectiveness of each method may vary. The prioritising of approaches in managing the risks associated with a hazard is called the hierarchy of controls and indicates the decreasing level of effectiveness of various approaches. The hierarchy of controls are:

eliminating the hazard at the source
substituting the hazard with something else that poses a lesser risk
isolating the hazard with an engineering control
implementing administrative controls and changing the way work is done
providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Often a number of different approaches are used in conjunction with each other to provide a more effective risk control.

Procedure

Plant and Equipment Management Procedure

The Plant and Equipment Procedure must be followed, and sets out the practical step-by-step instructions for implementing this policy.

The Procedure contains the following chapters:

Identify plant and equipment
Risk assessment of plant and equipment
Purchase or acquisition of plant
Controlling plant and equipment risks
OHS Risk Register
Legislation, Codes of Practice, Standards and Guidance

1. Identify plant and equipment

The principal and/or their delegate must identify all plant and equipment within the workplace in consultation with the Health and Safety Representative (HSR) and employees and record this information in the Plant and equipment register (XLSX) or equivalent.

Examples of plant and equipment include:

ladders
table saws
powered hand tools
lifts.

Hazard identification should take place:

when new plant and equipment is introduced into the workplace
for all existing plant and equipment
before any changes are made to the system of work for plant and equipment
before the plant and equipment is used in a manner other than what it was designed for
when new information regarding the safety of the plant and equipment becomes available.

The principal and/or their delegate must be aware that there are many types of plant and equipment items within their workplace.

Each item presents its own hazards which can include:

electrical
mechanical and moving parts
crushing or cutting
fire and explosion
hot parts of plant
noise
manual handling
chemical hazards.

Injuries resulting from incidents involving plant can range from:

near misses
small cuts and bruises
serious injuries such as amputations, scalping, de-gloving, and fatalities.

Due to the greater risk of injury to students, use of the following restricted plant items has been restricted to senior secondary students only who have passed a Restricted Plant Safe Use Competency Test (DOCX):

Cutting:
- Rip saw (table saw, bench saw)
- Band saw
- Docking saw (cross-cut saw, radial arm saw)
- Triton Workcentre
- Portable circular saw
- Circular saw table
- Slide compound mitre saw and compound mitre saw
- Reciprocating saw
- Guillotine (powered or manually-operated)
- Panel saw
Shaping:
- Grinder (pedestal or bench)
- Buzzer (surface planer)
- Thicknesser
- Spindle moulder
- Power wood shaper
- Portable planer
- Metal cut-off saw
- Table inverted router
- Portable plunge router (unsecured), that is, without template or guide fence

2. Risk assessment of plant and equipment

The principal and/or their delegate are to ensure that a risk assessment is completed and documented in the Plant and equipment risk management form (DOCX) or equivalent. A risk assessment should be completed for each identified hazardous item of plant and equipment in consultation with:

HSR
employees
relevant standards, codes of practice or legislation.

When determining the level of risk of a hazard the principal or their delegate should also consider:

systems of work related to the use of the item of plant or equipment
layout and physical conditions of the workplace
range of methods by which the work can be completed
type of hazards involved with the method of use and item of plant or equipment proposed to be used
competence of persons to undertake the work.

3. Purchase or acquisition of plant

The principal and/or their delegate must ensure that prior to the purchase or acquisition of plant and equipment, that the OHS purchasing checklist (DOCX) is completed in accordance with the OHS Purchasing Procedure.

This should occur in consultation with:

HSR
Employees.

4. Controlling plant and equipment risks

4.1 Control measures

The principal and/or their delegate in consultation with the HSR and employees are to ensure suitable controls, as outlined in the OHS Risk Management Procedure, are selected and implemented where plant and equipment risks are identified. This is to be documented on the Plant and equipment risk management form (DOCX).

Examples of plant and equipment controls, from most-to-least effective, could include:

determining whether the task can be completed by an alternative method – for example, purchasing timber pre-cut to the correct length
installing and maintaining fixed guarding on machinery
training employees in appropriate courses to obtain the required competencies
developing Safe Work Procedures
providing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as ear and eye protection.

Where the controls include development of procedures for the safe operation and/or use of plant and equipment, a Safe work procedure template (DOCX) should be completed and displayed adjacent to all items of static plant and accessible to operators of portable plant.

Plant and equipment that is identified as being unsafe must be isolated and tagged as per the Equipment Isolation and Tag Out Procedure.

4.2 Training, education and supervision

The principal or their delegate are responsible for ensuring that the relevant safety precautions for operating machinery in the school are implemented. Teachers or non-teaching support technicians who work or would like to work in wood work and metal work technology areas must have successfully completed the Safe Use of Machinery in Technology Teaching course (DOCX). To maintain the required level of knowledge and skill, the re-completion of this training every 5 years is strongly recommended.

For students to be able to use plant or equipment, they need to be:

senior secondary students only (requirement for restricted plant and machinery only)
assessed as competent using the Safe Use of Plant and Equipment Competency Test (DOCX) and the Restricted Plant and Machinery – Safe Use Competency Test (DOCX)
supervised by a qualified teacher.

For more information on the plant items classified as restricted, refer to Chapter 1 – Identify plant and equipment.

Only teachers who have completed the relevant modules of the Safe Use of Machinery in Technology Teaching course are permitted to assess and supervise a student using a safe use or a restricted plant item. Examples of these items are detailed within the relevant tests.

Training records are to be maintained by the principal or their delegate as outlined in the OHS Induction and Training Procedure.

4.3 Maintenance

The principal and/or their delegate are to ensure that a record of inspections and maintenance is kept for each item of plant and equipment. This includes scheduled maintenance, breakdown maintenance and replacement of parts (e.g. blades and belts) outside the scheduled maintenance program. Maintenance requirements should be determined in accordance with the supplier or manufacturer recommendations. Details recorded for plant and equipment should as a minimum include:

plant and equipment name
location
serial or identification number
description of work performed
completion date of repairs/maintenance
who the work was performed by.

If the workplace does not have an existing recording system, the Plant and equipment maintenance form (DOCX) may be used. When items of plant are being maintained or repaired they must be isolated and tagged as per the Equipment Isolation and Tag Out Procedure.

The principal and/or their delegate should ensure that contractors engaged to undertake maintenance are managed as per the Contractor OHS Management Procedure. The frequency of the maintenance program will depend on:

legislative requirements
manufacturer recommendations and requirements
results of the Plant and equipment risk management form
plant and equipment breakdown/failure rates.

4.4 Reviewing controls

The principal and/or their delegate are responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of risk controls in consultation with the HSR and employees.

The principal and/or their delegate should review the completed Plant and equipment risk management form, OHS risk register and any other relevant sources of information (for example, operating manual) to determine if the current controls are appropriate for individual items of plant and equipment. Any changes to the risk controls must be documented on the relevant Plant and equipment risk management form and the OHS risk register.

Plant and equipment risk management forms are to be reviewed and revised whenever there is evidence to indicate that the controls may no longer be valid, for example:

when the system of work for plant and equipment changes
if the plant and equipment is used in a manner other than what it was designed for
when an incident occurs involving an item of plant
when new information regarding the safety of the plant and equipment becomes available.

4.5 Licensing requirements

WorkSafe Victoria requires the operator of certain items of plant and equipment to hold a relevant licence. Licencing requirements can be found in Schedule 3 of the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Regulations — High Risk Work Licence Classes.

The principal and/or their delegate should ensure that all operators of plant and equipment required to be licenced are identified as per the OHS Induction and Training Procedure.

A photocopy of the current licence must be collected by the principal or their delegate and retained in the training records. The licensing requirements for contractors are to be managed as per the Contractor OHS Management Procedure.

5. OHS Risk Register

The principal and/or their delegate are to ensure that the OHS risk register (XLSX) is kept up to date and is reviewed when plant and equipment hazards are identified, assessed, controlled and reviewed. Communication of any changes to the hazards associated with plant and equipment is to occur as per the OHS Consultation and Communication Procedure.

6. Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

Resources

Plant and Equipment Risk Management Forms and Safe Work Procedure templates

The Plant and Equipment Risk Management Forms and Safe Work Procedure templates have been designed as generic guides to assist workplaces with assessing plant risks and developing safe work procedures. These documents should be used as a guide only and do not mitigate the requirement to assess plant risks and develop safe work procedures that are appropriate for the plant within your environment.

Maintenance equipment

Cutting tools

Shaping tools

Joining tools

Finishing tools

Miscellaneous

Other templates relevant to this policy and procedure

OHS risk register (XLSX)– to record when plant and equipment hazards are identified, assessed, controlled and reviewed
OHS Purchasing Checklist (DOCX)– for completion prior to the purchase or acquisition of new plant and equipment
Plant and Equipment Register (XLSX)– for recording all plant and equipment
Plant and Equipment Risk Management Form (DOCX)– for documenting risk assessments for hazardous items of plant and equipment.
Plant and Equipment Maintenance Form (DOCX)
Safe Work Procedure template (DOCX)– for completion and display where the control measures include development of procedures for safe operation of plant and equipment
Safe Use of Machinery for Technology Teaching Overview – course information and supervision requirements (DOCX) – for a quick overview of the required training course, eligibility, how to enrol and student supervision post training completion

Competency tests

Safe Use of Plant and Equipment Competency Test (DOCX) – this test is to be completed by students and the supervising teacher to assess the safe use of plant
Restricted Plant and Machinery – Safe Use Competency Test (DOCX) – this test is to be completed by students and the supervising teacher to assess the safe use of restricted plant

Reviewed 19 March 2020

Plant and Equipment Management

Policy last updated

Scope

On this page:

Policy

Policy

Summary

Details

Definitions

Related policies

Related legislation

Procedure

Plant and Equipment Management Procedure

1. Identify plant and equipment

1. Identify plant and equipment

2. Risk assessment of plant and equipment

2. Risk assessment of plant and equipment

3. Purchase or acquisition of plant

3. Purchase or acquisition of plant

4. Controlling plant and equipment risks

4. Controlling plant and equipment risks

4.1 Control measures

4.2 Training, education and supervision

4.3 Maintenance

4.4 Reviewing controls

4.5 Licensing requirements

5. OHS Risk Register

5. OHS Risk Register

6. Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

6. Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

Resources

Resources

Plant and Equipment Risk Management Forms and Safe Work Procedure templates

Maintenance equipment

Cutting tools

Shaping tools

Joining tools

Finishing tools

Miscellaneous

Other templates relevant to this policy and procedure

Competency tests