The largest review in decades has begun for legacy workplace health and safety codes of practice in New South Wales.

The review consists of rounds of consultation of a total of 20 codes of practice that pre-date modern workplace health and safety legislation. The first round, held in June, sought feedback on the following codes:

• Code of Practice for the Collection of Domestic Waste;
• Code of Practice for Moving Plant on Construction Sites;
• Code of Practice for Safety in Forest Harvesting Operations;
• Code of Practice for Tunnels Under Construction; and
• Code of Practice for Work Near Overhead Power Lines.

Codes of practice are practical guides to achieving the standards of health and safety required under work health and safety legislation. As such, codes must remain clear, coherent and current to be effective.

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophia Cotsis says, “the review acknowledges the evolving nature of industries and emerging technologies, and it is crucial the codes reflect changing work arrangements. Workers, employers and industry experts are encouraged to take part in community consultation of the review to help develop policy which has a meaningful impact on everyone.”

Keep an eye on the SafeWork NSW website for consultation date announcements for the remaining codes.