OHS Purchasing

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to minimise health, safety and wellbeing risks in schools when purchasing new goods, equipment or chemicals.

Summary

• The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (2004) (Vic) requires the department to provide or maintain, systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risk to health by identifying potential OHS risks associated with the purchase, hire, lease or receipt of donated goods.
• The principal and/or their delegate must ensure that all new equipment, chemicals or other materials (goods) introduced into the workplace are safe for use.
• The principal and/or their delegate must, in consultation with employees and Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) identify the hazards associated with the use of new goods to ensure risks are effectively managed prior to use.
• 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 supports and services to assist principals and employees to be safe and well, including access to OHS Advisory Service and local OHS regional officers, who can provide free advice on managing risks related to purchasing, hiring, or leasing new goods, equipment or chemicals.
• The OHS Purchasing Procedure (in the Procedure tab) 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. For further information, refer to OHS Management System (OHSMS) Overview.

Details

The principal and/or their delegate, in consultation with Health and Safety Representative (HSR) and employees, must ensure the following:

• potential hazards associated with new goods that are purchased, hired, leased or donated are identified
• an OHS Purchasing Checklist is completed for new goods where hazards are identified
• a risk assessment is completed using the Risk Assessment Template for goods that require further action to make them safe for use
• a Safe Work Procedure — using the Safe Work Procedure Template, is completed for goods that require training for safe use
• training in the Safe Work Procedure is completed by staff and students prior to using new goods and training records are retained
• new goods that are faulty or have uncontrolled risks are withdrawn from service and isolated to prevent use.

The OHS Purchasing Procedure provides further detail for each of the above requirements.

Definitions

Goods
Reference to goods includes:

• equipment
• chemicals
• other materials.

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.

Hazards
Anything with the potential to cause

• harm
• injury
• illness
• loss.

Related policies

• Chemical Management
• OHS Induction and Training
• OHS Management System (OHSMS) Overview
• OHS Risk Management

Relevant legislation

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)

OHS Purchasing Procedure

The Occupational Health and Safety Purchasing Procedure must be followed, and sets out the practical step-by-step instructions for implementing this policy.

The Procedure contains the following chapters:

1. Introduction
2. Identifying goods with the potential to create OHS risks
3. OHS Purchasing Checklist
4. Risk assessment and safe work procedure
5. Non-conforming goods
6. Management of suppliers
7. Disposal and decommissioning of goods
8. Responsibilities of suppliers
9. Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

1 Introduction

The underlying principle of OHS purchasing, hiring, leasing, or receiving donated goods, is to ensure that hazards are not introduced into the workplace without assessing the risk and implementing controls to mitigate the risk.

2 Identifying goods with the potential to create OHS risks

The principal and/or their delegate in consultation with the Health and Safety Representatives (HSR) and employees are to identify potential occupational health and safety risks associated with the purchase, hire, lease or receipt of donated of goods. Examples include:

• exposure to mechanical moving parts (e,g. plant such as a lathe, pedestal grinder, lawn mower)
• falls from height (e.g. ladders or installation of stage lighting)
• chemicals (e.g. hazardous substances or dangerous goods)
• playground equipment and structures (e.g. basketball ring, shade sail etc.)
• manual handling (e.g. moving bulky, heavy or awkward objects / items such as high jump mat)
• ergonomic considerations (e.g. purchase or hire of bulk order office chairs and trolleys)
• electrical equipment (e.g. notebook computers)

3 OHS Purchasing Checklist

The principal and/or their delegate must ensure that the OHS Purchasing Checklist is completed when purchasing, hiring, leasing, or when donated goods with potential OHS risks are to be introduced to the workplace.

The OHS Purchasing Checklist can be completed by any school employee in consultation with the Health and Safety Representative, and approved by the principal or their delegate.

The principal and/or their delegate are to ensure that section 2 of the OHS Purchasing Checklist is signed upon receipt of goods, if the goods conform to specifications.

It should be noted, that if the goods have previously been purchased, hired, or leased then an OHS Purchasing Checklist may not be required. Instead, the principal and/or their delegate are to ensure that the controls currently in place continue to effectively manage the risk.

4 Risk assessment and safe work procedure

The principal and/or their delegate are to ensure a risk assessment is completed using the Risk Assessment Template for goods that require further risk controls to be implemented. The Risk Assessment can be completed by any school employee.

The principal and/or their delegate, employee or Health and Safety Representative are to complete a Safe Work Procedure for goods that require training for safe use (for example, wood or metal work plant and equipment, agricultural equipment and so on).

5 Non-conforming goods

The principal and/or their delegate are to directly contact the supplier in the event of faulty or non-conforming goods to arrange replacement or return of the good(s).

If the fault or non-conformance represents a safety hazard, the principal or their delegate must ensure goods are withdrawn from service and isolated (i.e. for locked up to prevent unauthorised use).

6 Management of suppliers

The principal and/or their delegate are to manage suppliers via their workplace’s purchasing system (for example, CASES21).

7 Disposal and decommissioning of goods

The principal and/or their delegate are to ensure goods belonging to, or in the care of, the school are decommissioned and disposed of in a way that takes into account safety, security, sustainability as well as environmental and social factors.

8 Responsibilities of suppliers

The principal and/or their delegate should be aware of the responsibilities of suppliers of goods.

Suppliers of goods are responsible for:

• ensuring the goods supplied meet legislative requirements (e.g. Australian Standards, compliance codes)
• providing safety data sheets for chemicals
• correcting or replacing non-conforming goods at the time of receipt (and prior to use) and/or according to warranty

9 Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)

Resources

Templates relevant to this policy and procedure

• Occupational health and safety (OHS) purchasing checklist — to be completed when purchasing, hiring, leasing, or when donated goods with potential OHS risks are to be introduced to the workplace
• Risk Assessment Template — completed for goods that require further action to make them safe for use
• Safe Work Procedure Template — completed for goods that require training for safe use