WHS Management Plan 2026 to 2027

Purpose. This plan sets the health and safety objectives, risk priorities, programs and responsibilities for CAQA Polyform Plastics and Cable for the 2026 to 2027 financial year across all three sites and site crews.

1.Objectives

The business will have no injuries from machine access, will complete every weekly guard and interlock check on every machine, will reduce the lost time injury frequency rate below three, will complete a Job Safety Analysis for every site job and will close corrective actions by their due dates. Progress will be reported at the monthly operations, quality and safety review.

2.Risk register summary

The risk register identifies the principal hazards and the controls that must remain in place, each with an owner who verifies the controls quarterly.

• Machine access on moulding machines, presses, mills and extruders: interlocked guards, isolation and lock out, authorised setters only
• Hot barrels, dies, purgings and vulcanising presses: heat-resistant gloves, face shields, purge stations, cool-down rules
• Fumes from PVC, rubber and cross-linking: local exhaust ventilation, stack filters, health monitoring
• Manual handling of bags, reels, rolls and belt: mechanical aids, two-person lifts, 20 kilogram single-person limit
• Forklift and pedestrian traffic: marked walkways, speed limits, licensed operators
• Noise from granulators, mills and compressors: enclosures, hearing protection zones
• Site work on conveyors: customer isolation and permit, belt clamps, personal locks, Job Safety Analysis
• Peroxides, solvents and rubber chemicals: register, segregation, ventilation, spill kits

3.Risk matrix

Risk ratings combine likelihood (rare, unlikely, possible, likely, almost certain) and consequence (first aid, medical treatment, lost time, serious injury, fatality). High and extreme ratings require immediate action and General Manager sign-off on the control plan. Medium ratings require action within 30 days. Low ratings are managed through routine procedures.

4.Programs for the year

The year's programs include light curtain upgrades on the two oldest moulding machines by December 2026, replacement of the open mill trip cable at Wingfield with a body bar by October 2026, fume extraction upgrade on the PVC extrusion line in November 2026, a manual handling review of reel handling at Bayswater, hot vulcanising press burn controls including insulated edge irons, and confined space assessment of the extrusion silos.

5.Training

Every worker will hold a current site induction and machine induction recorded in the training matrix. Setters and maintainers will hold the isolation and lock out competency. Site crew leaders will hold conveyor isolation, working at heights and first aid competencies. Forklift operators will hold current licences. Students on placement will complete the site induction and will not set, clear or maintain machines unless under direct supervision of an authorised setter.

6.Emergency management

Each site holds an emergency plan with evacuation diagrams, assembly points and warden lists. Fire extinguishers, eyewash stations and spill kits will be inspected monthly. Site crews carry a first aid kit, a satellite communicator for remote sites and the customer's emergency contact details.

7.Monitoring and review

The Technical, Quality and WHS Manager will report incident numbers, open actions, guard check completion and training completion each month. This plan will be reviewed at the end of the financial year and after any serious incident.