Plant and machinery
Frequently asked questions
General plant and machinery FAQs
- Can earthmoving equipment be used as a crane?
- What are the inspection requirements for a mobile crane?
- Are square head cutter blocks on woodworking machines prohibited?
- Can square head cutter blocks be replaced?
- Are push sticks required for panel or bench saws?
- Can I use compressed air to blow off the dust on my clothes?
- My job requires me to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) like safety boots and hearing protection. Do I have to pay for this out of my own pocket?
Registration of plant design and item of plant
General plant and machinery
1. Can earthmoving equipment be used as a crane?
Yes. Special requirements for earthmoving equipment used as a crane can be found in AS1418.8, however where the safe working load exceeds 3000kg all the requirements of AS1418 apply.
2. What are the inspection requirements for a mobile crane?
Regulation 4.54(4) requires that cranes be inspected in accordance with manufacturers specifications. If there are no manufacturer specifications then in accordance with Australian Standards. AS 2550.1 details the inspection requirements for mobile cranes.
3. Are square head cutter blocks on woodworking machines prohibited?
Square head cutter blocks are not prohibited provided they were originally designed and manufactured for the machine.
Square head cutter block have a large cutting angle therefore cut aggressively and are unable to provide a smooth finish the angle also increases the wear on the blade tip. Sharpening and adjusting square head cutter blocks is time consuming and requires considerable skill to set the blades correctly before sharpening.
4. Can square head cutter blocks be replaced?
Yes. A competent person must complete a risk assessment before replacing the square head cutter blocks on a machine. A competent person must also manufacture and install the cutter blocks.
5. Are push sticks required for panel or bench saws?
Yes. Push sticks are devices that minimise the risk of operators making contact with the rotating blade on a bench or panel saw. The push sticks should be readily available to the operator of bench or panel saws.
6. Can I use compressed air to blow off the dust on my clothes?
No. This is a dangerous practice and has the potential to seriously injure a person or cause death. The compressed air can easily enter the blood stream through a cut or abrasion. When the compressed air penetrates the skin it is carrying all the particulates, toxins and oils from the air lines created during the compression of air.
7. My job requires me to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) like safety boots and hearing protection. Do I have to pay for this out of my own pocket?
No. Where it is not practicable to avoid the presence of hazards at the workplace, Section 19(1)(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 requires the employer to provide employees with or provide for employees to have, equipment and clothing as is practicableto protect them against those hazards, without any cost to the employees.
Registration of Plant Design and Item of Plant
1. What is the difference between design registration and individual registration?
Design registration applies to a concept; any number of individual items can be manufactured to the same design. Individual registration applies to a specific item; each item of the specified type requires registration.
2. If I alter an item of plant do I have to re-register it?
That depends on the extent of the alteration and the type of plant. An alteration is defined in Regulation 4.1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 as a change which may affect safety or health, but does not include routine maintenance, repairs or replacement. Regulation 4.11 states that if plant of a kind specified in Schedule 4.1 is altered, then the altered design must be registered. Regulation 4.14 states that if an item of plant has been individually registered and it is altered, then it must be re-registered.
3. What sort of plant requires design registration?
Schedule 4.1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 specifies the kinds of plant requiring registration of the design.
4. Who is responsible for design registration?
Regulation 4.2 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 places the responsibility for ensuring specified types of plant are design registered on the manufacturer, importer or supplier.
5. How do I register my plant design?
Regulation 4.3 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 outlines what must be included in an application for design registration. An application form can be obtained from WorkSafe by contacting the Customer Service Centre or downloaded from this website. Once you have completed the application form and attached the information set out the Regulation 4.3, you can submit the application either by post or in person.
6. Who is a Design Verifier?
A design verifier is defined in Regulation 4.1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 as someone who is competent to verify that a design complies with the relevant Standards and legislative requirements. Essentially this means someone who has sufficient training, qualifications or experience in the field of plant design. In addition, Regulation 4.4 specifies that the design verifier must be independent of the designer, and must not have had any involvement in the design.
7. What sort of plant requires individual registration?
Schedule 4.2 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 specifies the kinds of plant requiring individual registration.
8. Who is responsible for individual registration?
Regulation 4.14 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 places the responsibility for ensuring specified types of plant are individually registered on the employer, main contractor, self-employed person, person having control of the workplace, or person having control of access to the workplace.
9. How do I register my item of plant?
Regulations 4.14 and 4.15 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 outline what must be included in an application for individual registration. An application form can be obtained from WorkSafe by contacting the Customer Service Centre. Once you have completed the application form and attached the information specified in Regulation 4.15, you can submit the application either by post or in person.
10. Who is a competent person?
Regulation 4.15 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 specifies that an individual item of plant must be inspected by a competent person and declared safe for use before it can be registered. A competent person is defined in Regulation 1.3 as a person who has acquired through training, qualification or experience or a combination of those things, the necessary knowledge and skills required to do that thing competently.
11. Does a 10 tonne BHB mobile crane require registration?
No. Only mobile cranes, other than tow trucks, with a safe working load greater than 10 tonnes in capacity require registration.
12. Does WorkSafe accept plant registration from other states?
Yes, WorkSafe accepts both design registration and individual registrations from any Commonwealth, State or Territory Authority with responsibility for plant safety.