NOHSC to Release Public Comment Package on Dangerous Goods
The National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) plans to release the package on storage and handling of dangerous goods for a three month phase of public comment from early April 1998. It will be available in hard copy and on the internet at http://www.worksafe.gov.au
As well as occupational health and safety issues, the dangerous goods draft addresses public safety and protection of the environment. The package is relevant to businesses, big and small, as well as the general community. Provisions in the draft aim to further the goals of simplicity and clarity in regulation, including for small business.
To ensure consistency between storage and handling - and transport - requirements, the draft standard links to the recently revised Australian Dangerous Goods (ADG) code on technical matters such as labelling and classification of dangerous goods.
Comments on the package are invited from interested organisations and individuals. When completed, States and Territories will be able to adopt the national standard and code of practice and in this way achieve a nationally consistent performance-based approach to the storage and handling of dangerous goods. This will replace the highly prescriptive, fragmented and complex requirements which currently exist across Australia.
To facilitate comment NOHSC, with the States and Territories, will organise activities to inform parties likely to be affected by the new standard about the package, as well as encourage proposals on how to improve the package. These activities will be publicised widely in each State and Territory. NOHSC will also set-up focus groups for affected industry sectors to ensure the final standard can be readily implemented.
For updates on participation in the public comment phase see ASCC's Web site or contact our Dangerous Goods Hot line, phone (02) 9577 9571.
DANGEROUS GOODS PACKAGE AT A GLANCE
The public comment package, which was developed through a tripartite process involving government, employer and union representation, contains:
- The Preliminary Impact Analysis on the Draft National Standard for the Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods
- The Draft National Standard for the Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods
- The Draft National Code of Practice for the Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods.
Preliminary Impact Analysis
The Preliminary Impact Analysis discusses the rationale behind the standard, including a qualitative estimate of the costs and benefits, and details the issues which were addressed in the development of the standard.
Performance-based approach
The draft standard requires those responsible for the storage and handling of dangerous goods to follow the general principles of:
- hazard identification
- risk assessment
- risk control
rather than prescriptive requirements. The advantage of this approach is that occupiers (those responsible for dangerous goods) will no longer need to get licenses, approvals or exemptions from their dangerous goods authority to undertake certain activities. This change is an administrative saving for both occupiers and authorities.
Rather than the traditional approach of prescribing, in inflexible detail, how to store and handle dangerous goods safely, the draft standard sets safety outcomes and allows those responsible to work out the best way, for their particular circumstances, to meet or exceed those outcomes. The draft code of practice provides advice on how to achieve those outcomes.
What are dangerous goods?
Dangerous goods are defined by the United Nations and include chemicals and articles such as petrol, kerosene, LP gas, paints, pesticides, acids and alkalies. If stored or handled improperly they can, and have, caused deaths, severe injury and damage to property and the environment.
http://www.worksafe.gov.au
2 March 1998
Page last updated: 15/07/2008