Help with this site
 (Start here)
Introduction Training Employer Employee Law Risk assessment Further information Acknowledgments Documents Important Notice

Legislative framework in Victoria

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

The Act sets out general duties of care for employers, employees, designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers. The Act also enables regulations to be made about safety, health and welfare of people at work.

Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007

The aim of the Regulations is to protect people at work against musculoskeletal disorders caused by manual handling. The Regulations set out specific duties for employers and employees, for designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers of plant.

Part 3.1 - Manual Handling
3.1.1 Hazard identification
3.1.2 Control of risk
3.1.3 Review of risk control measures

Section 47(1) of the Act states that failure to comply with Regulations made under the Act is an offence.

Code of Practice for Manual Handling

The Code provides practical guidance on how to comply with the Regulations.

The provisions in a code are not mandatory. That is, a person may choose to comply with the Regulations in some other way, as long as that method also fulfils the requirements of the Regulation.

However, in legal proceedings, failure to follow an approved code of practice can be used as evidence that a person or company has not complied with provisions of the Act or Regulations.

Each campus has a package which contains the documents referred to above. They are usually kept in the Loans area of the Library. Ask your supervisor if you don’t know where they are kept.