Health and safety topics menu

• National OHS strategy
• OHS standards, codes of practice and related guidance
  • Continuous improvement of national standards
• Statistical data and reports
• OHS in the Public Sector
• Research and Emerging issues
• Hazardous substances and dangerous goods
• Hazards and safety issues
• Training, OHS skills and worker licensing
• Safe design

2002 annual situation report

Executive Summary: 2002 Annual Situation Report - Non First Priority Standards

This is the second Annual Situation Report on the Non-First Priority National Standards (non-priority materials).

The non-priority materials are standards and codes declared by NOHSC that fall outside of the seven priority standard areas. There are four sets of documents:

• National Standard for Limiting Occupational Exposure to Ionising Radiation, 1995 (and associated guidance material);
• National Standard for Safe Working in a Confined Space, 1994;
• National Code of Practice for Health Care Workers and Other People at Risk of the Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis B in the Workplace, 1993 (and the National Consensus Statements on Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome and the Workplace, 1993, and Hepatitis B and the Workplace, 1990); and
• Workplace Injury and Disease Recording Standard in the Workplace: AS 1885.1, 1990.

Key Finding of the previous Annual Monitoring Report 2001 were:

• There was only limited and inconsistent adoption of national non-priority materials;
• Action was required to respond to stakeholders' concerns regarding the fact that the materials on HIV/AIDs and Hepatitis B have been superseded. Action was also required to disclose the status of the non-priority materials. It was also recognised that other materials needed to be reviewed once they had reached their ten year declaration anniversary date under the COAG guidelines;
• Data was too limited to draw conclusions on the efficacy of these materials.

Key findings of the 2002 Report are that, in terms of:

• adoption of national non-priority materials: there still remains only limited adoption of the non-priority materials and, where further uptake has been taken it has not been consistent across jurisdictions;
• stakeholders concerns: a number of concerns remain with these materials. Some materials have been superseded (HIV/AIDs and Hepatitis B) and others are over 10 years old and require a review under COAG guidelines (Workplace Injury and Disease Recording). More generally, the status of these materials needs to be appropriately disclosed. Consistent with the 1997 designation by NOHSC of these materials as non-priority, they are not maintained by they remain as declared documents (action would be required under section 38 of the NOHSC act, including seeking public comment, would be required before their declared status could be removed).
• efficacy: data still remains too limited to draw any useful conclusions.

This report identifies actions to be undertaken during 2002-03 in relation to the non-priority material.

• HIV/AIDs and Hepatitis: development and assessment of options to address the out-of-date nature of this material in consultation with the Department of Health and Ageing was initiated in 2001-02. This work will give rise to recommendations on actions for NOHSC to consider in the first half of 2002-03.
• Ionising Radiation: no requirements to amend the NOHSC components of these materials have been identified to date. Monitoring of issues will continue in conjunction with the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Authority.
• Safe Working in Confined Spaces: no requirements to amend the NOHSC components of these materials have been identified to date. Monitoring of issues will continue.
• Workplace Injury and Disease Recording Standard: it is over 10 years since the material was developed. The standard is to be revised once the 3^rd Edition of the National Data Set (Types of Occurrences Classification System) is completed.
• Disclaimers: Development of options for attaching disclaimer and disclosing the status of the non-priority materials on the NOHSC website was initiated in 2001-02. This work will give rise to recommendations on actions for NOHSC to consider in the first half of 2002-03.

Copy of the Annual Situation Report

2001 Annual Situation Report - Non First Priority Standards (PDF 225kB)

2001 Annual Situation Report - Non First Priority Standards (DOC 343kB)

2002 Annual Situation Report - Non First Priority Standards (PDF 378kB)

2002 Annual Situation Report - Non First Priority Standards (DOC 151kB)