News and events menu

• Media releases & Speeches
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004
  • 2003
  • 2002
  • 2001
  • 2000
  • 1999
  • 1998
  • 1997
  • 1996
  • 1995
• Newsletters
• Safe Work Australia Awards
• World day for safety and health at work

Proposed Code of Practice for the Control of Work-related Exposure to HIV and Hepatitis viruses

Public Comment Work Related Exposure to HIV and Hepatitis (PDF 937kB)

Executive Summary

• Guidance to employers and workers regarding the minimisation of risks arising from work-related exposure to these viruses has been provided since 1993 through a National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) Code of Practice: 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 [NOHSC: 2010 (1993)] (the NOHSC Code) and associated documents.
• The NOHSC Code is now out of date, having been superseded by more relevant and up to date material currently published by the public health sector and some State and Territory occupational health and safety authorities. Maintaining the current Code runs the risk of persons who are seeking up to date advice being misled by the use of outdated material, thereby increasing the risks of workers or members of the public contracting HIV/AIDS, HBV and HCV as a result of work-related exposures or taking inappropriate or unnecessary protection measures.
• At its 63rd meeting on 16th October 2002, NOHSC, consistent with its obligations under Council of Australian Governments guidelines, agreed to rescind the NOHSC Code and to adopt the Western Australia Code of Practice on the Management of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis at Workplaces (the WA Code)[1], subject to any necessary modification.
• Since that time, NOHSC has provided access through the NOHSC website to other relevant guidance material and associated information published by the Department of Health and Ageing, NSW Health and WorkSafe Western Australia. However, these sources do not provide the same range of information that was covered in the now out-dated Code, and are not designed to provide information for varied workplace health and safety purposes.
• A wide range of industries, occupations and work tasks place considerable numbers of workers and members of the public at risk of exposure to one or more of these viruses.
• A draft revised Code (the revised Code), based on the WA Code, has been developed by NOHSC as a proposed replacement for the original Code. The changes to the original WA code were made in consultation and agreement with the tripartite members of NOHSC and following consultation with the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.
• NOHSC is releasing the revised Code for an 8-week period of public comment. Full supporting documentation outlining the health and safety reason for the revision to the existing NOHSC Code is provided in a Public Consultation Paper.
• Additionally, a Preliminary Regulation Impact Statement (PRIS) is provided which outlines the impact of the proposed changes in terms of a qualitative discussion and assessment of the costs and benefits. The basic structure of the PRIS has been prepared with the assistance of the Office of Regulation Review (ORR).
• You are invited to provide comment on the revised Code and the accompanying PRIS. Page 6 of the public consultation paper advises on the specific information you should consider in providing comment to NOHSC, and how best to submit
  

[1] Worksafe Western Australia. Code of practice on the management of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis at workplaces. Perth: Worksafe Western Australia, 2000.