Work Health and Safety Policy

Purpose. This policy sets out how CAQA Polyform Plastics and Cable protects the health and safety of workers, contractors, visitors and customers at its three sites and on customer sites where its crews work.

1.Commitment

CAQA Polyform Plastics and Cable will provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health so far as is reasonably practicable. The business will comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Victoria), the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (South Australia), their regulations and the Australian standard for safeguarding of machinery, and with the site rules of every customer where its crews work.

2.Principal hazards

The principal hazards in this business are crushing and entrapment in moulding machines, presses, mills and extruders; burns from hot barrels, dies, purgings and vulcanising presses; fumes from PVC, rubber and cross-linked polyethylene processing; noise; manual handling of bags, reels, rolls and belt; forklift and pedestrian traffic; solvents and peroxides; and the hazards of working on customer sites, including conveyor isolation and remote locations. Each is controlled through the machine safety, isolation, ventilation, manual handling and chemical programs in the WHS Management Plan.

• Machine guarding and interlocks to the Australian standard, checked weekly
• Isolation and lock out for every tool change, clearance and maintenance task
• Local exhaust ventilation on mills, PVC lines and purge stations
• Hearing protection zones and annual noise assessments
• Mechanical aids and two-person lifts for reels, rolls and belt

3.Responsibilities

The General Manager holds overall responsibility. Department managers and supervisors must implement this policy, keep risk assessments current, act on hazards and ensure only trained and authorised people set, clear or maintain machines. Workers must follow procedures, use guards and personal protective equipment as specified, apply their own lock before reaching into any machine, report hazards and incidents on the day and stop work that is unsafe.

4.Consultation and training

Workers will be consulted through elected health and safety representatives, shift toolbox talks and the site safety committee. Every worker will complete a site induction, a machine-specific induction before operating any machine and the isolation and lock out training before setting or clearing any machine. Competency will be recorded in the training matrix.

5.Incident reporting

Every injury, near miss, hazard, chemical exposure and property damage event must be reported on the Incident and Hazard Report Form and entered in the WHS Incident and Hazard Register on the shift it occurs. Notifiable incidents will be reported to the regulator by the General Manager or delegate and the site preserved. Investigations will focus on causes and controls, not blame.

6.Working on customer sites

Site crews must complete the customer's induction, work under the customer's permit and isolation system for conveyors and plant, and follow this policy where it sets a higher standard. Crew leaders must complete a Job Safety Analysis for every site job before work starts and must stop work and contact the Rubber and Belting Manager if the customer's isolation cannot be verified.

7.Review

This policy will be reviewed annually, after any notifiable incident and whenever legislation, equipment or operations change materially.