• What law applies
• Designers of plant, machinery and equipment
  • Definition of a designer, and a designer's obligations
  • Meeting the obligations of a designer
• Manufacturers of plant, machinery and equipment
  • A manufacturer's obligations
  • Meeting the obligations of a manufacturer
• Suppliers of plant, machinery and equipment
  • Definition of a supplier and a supplier's obligations
  • Meeting the obligations of a supplier
• Erectors and installers of plant, machinery and equipment
• Modifying plant, machinery and equipment

• Plant Code of Practice 2005

• Plant registration
• Plant design registration
• Risk management

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Meeting the obligations of a manufacturer

Part 2 of the Plant Code of Practice 2005 provides practical advice about how to minimise the exposure to health and safety risks when manufacturing plant, machinery and equipment including:

Risk management
Safe plant construction
Testing and examination of plant
Providing information on safe use
Registrable plant design

Risk management

Manufacturers have obligations under Part 2.1 of the Plant Code of Practice 2005 to undertake risk management to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety while manufacturing plant. Australian and international standards relating to risk management for plant are identified in Appendix 6 of the Plant Code of Practice 2005.

More information on risk management
Risk Management Code of Practice 2007.

Safe plant construction

Part 2.2 of the Plant Code of Practice 2005 identifies several things a manufacturer needs to consider, including:

• consulting with designers;
• following designers instructions and
• adhering to designer specifications.

as ways by which the obligation to manufacture safe plant can be met.

Part 3.4 of the Plant Code of Practice 2005 relating to the compatibility of plant components applies to manufacturers and suppliers of plant.

Testing and examination of plant

Under Part 2.3 of the Plant Code of Practice 2005 manufacturers have an obligation to test and examine the plant they manufacture to ensure the plant is constructed to be safe when used properly (refer also to Section 32A(1)(b) of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (PDF, 766 kB).

Part 2.3 of the Plant Code of Practice 2005 provides advice on typical testing and considerations for testing, including documentation and providing information to others to help manufacturers meet their obligations for testing and examination.

Providing information on safe use

Manufacturers of plant, machinery and equipment have an obligation to provide information about the way plant is to be used to ensure health and safety. Part 2.4 of the Plant Code of Practice 2005 details the obligations of manufacturers to provide information covering many aspects of the plant throughout its life.

Registrable plant design

Schedule 4 of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 requires the following plant design to be registered:

• boom-type elevating work platform
• bridge crane with a safe working load of more than or equal to 10 t
• gantry cranes with a safe working load of more than 5 t
• all other bridge and gantry crane designed to handle molten metal or dangerous goods
• building maintenance unit
• escalator (as defined in Schedule 2 of the Act)
• gantry crane with a safe working load of more than 5 t
• LP gas cylinder (as defined in Schedule 2 of the Act)
• personnel hoist
• lift (as defined in Schedule 2 of the Act)
• mast climbing work platform
• mobile crane with a safe working load of more than 10 t
• prefabricated scaffolding
• pressure equipment with hazard level A, B, C or D, as worked out under the criteria stated in AS 4343 as in force on 1 July 2000, other than pressure piping
• refillable gas cylinder
• specified amusement device (class 2, 3, 4 or 5 under AS3533.1 -1997 excluding coin operated amusement devices and class 1 devices manufactured prior to 30 July 2004)
• tower crane
• vehicle hoist
• work box

Where plant design is required to be registered a manufacturer must ensure that the plant design certificate number is supplied with the plant.

It is the suppliers' obligation to ensure that the certificate number is permanently marked on the plant.

More information on the plant design registration process