A-weighted means a measure using a filter designed to reflect the response of the human ear at low sound pressure levels;
Act compliance provision means a provision of a kind referred to in regulation 7;
ADG Code has the same meaning as in the Dangerous Goods Act 1985;
administrative control means a system of work or a work procedure that is designed to eliminate or reduce a risk, but does not include—
(a) a physical control; or
(b) the use of personal protective equipment;
air-supplied respiratory protective equipment means a device that supplies air to the wearer from a source other than the ambient atmosphere;
alter, in relation to plant, means to change the design of, add to, or take away from the plant in a way that may affect health or safety, but does not include routine maintenance, repairs or replacements;
AMBSC Code means Australian Miniature Boiler Safety Committee Code Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 published by the Australian Miniature Boiler Safety Committee;
Ambulance Service—Victoria has the same meaning as in the Ambulance Services Act 1986;
amusement structure means powered equipment operated for hire or reward that provides entertainment or amusement through movement of the equipment, or part of the equipment, or when passengers travel on, around or along the equipment;
approved asbestos laboratory means a laboratory approved—
(a) by NATA to perform asbestos fibre counting or to identify asbestos in samples; or
(b) by a scheme determined by the Authority under regulation 6;
AS 2030—Gas Cylinders means—
(a) AS 2030.1 Gas cylinders, Part 1: General requirements; and
(b) AS 2030.2 The verification, filling, inspection, testing and maintenance of cylinders for the storage and transport of compressed gases, Part 2: Cylinders for dissolved acetylene; and
(c) AS 2030.4 The verification, filling, inspection, testing and maintenance of cylinders for the storage and transport of compressed gases, Part 4: Welded cylinders—Insulated; and
(d) AS 2030.5 Gas cylinders, Part 5: Filling, inspection and testing of refillable cylinders;
AS 2593 means Australian Standard AS 2593—Boilers - Safety management and supervision systems, sections 1, 2 and 3;
asbestos means—
(a) the asbestiform varieties of mineral silicates belonging to the serpentine or amphibole groups of rock-forming minerals, including—
(i) actinolite asbestos; and
(ii) anthophyllite asbestos; and
(iii) chrysotile ("white asbestos"); and
(iv) crocidolite ("blue asbestos"); and
(v) grunerite asbestos (or amosite) ("brown asbestos"); and
(vi) tremolite asbestos; or
(b) any material or object, whether natural or manufactured, that contains one or more of the mineral silicates referred to in paragraph (a);
1 The mineral silicates set out in paragraph (a)(i), (ii), (v) and (vi) use the same name for both the asbestiform and non-asbestiform varieties. The word "asbestos" has been included here to emphasise that only the asbestiform habit of these minerals is regulated as asbestos by these Regulations.
2 A substance that contains both non-asbestiform mineral silicates and a hazardous substance
is a hazardous substance to which Part 4.1 (Hazardous substances) applies.
asbestos-containing material means any manufactured material or object that, as part of its design, contains one or more of the mineral silicates referred to in paragraph (a) of the definition of asbestos (other than plant in which asbestos is fixed or installed);
asbestos-contaminated dust means dust that is, or is assumed under Part 4.4 (Asbestos) to be, contaminated with asbestos;
asbestos exposure standard means 0·1 f/ml of air measured in a person's breathing zone and expressed as a time weighted average fibre concentration of asbestos calculated over an 8 hour working day and measured over a minimum period of 4 hours in accordance with—
(a) the Membrane Filter Method; or
(b) a method determined by the Authority under regulation 6;
asbestos occupational health and safety management system means an occupational health and safety management system that is—
(a) related to asbestos removal work; and
(b) accredited or approved by JAS-ANZ or determined by the Authority under regulation 6;
asbestos paraoccupational air monitoring means a procedure by which air is sampled to estimate the airborne asbestos fibre concentration in the occupational environment, taken at fixed locations, usually between 1 and 2 metres above floor level, in accordance with—
(a) the Membrane Filter Method; or
(b) a method determined by the Authority under regulation 6;
asbestos register means the asbestos register kept under regulation 227 as revised in accordance with Part 4.4 (Asbestos);
asbestos-related activities has the meaning given by regulation 302;
asbestos removal licence means—
(a) a Class A asbestos removal licence; or
(b) a Class B asbestos removal licence;
asbestos removal licence holder means an employer or self-employed person who is the holder of an asbestos removal licence issued under Part 6.1 (Licences);
asbestos removal supervisor means a person who is appointed by an asbestos removal licence holder to oversee asbestos removal work in accordance with regulation 266;
asbestos removal work, means the removal of asbestos that is present at a workplace, building, structure, ship or plant so that the asbestos is no longer present in that workplace, building, structure, ship or plant, up to the point of containment;
asbestos waste means asbestos removed and disposable items used during asbestos removal work or asbestos-related activities, including plastic sheeting and disposable personal protective clothing and disposable protective equipment including tools;
assessment of competency means an assessment under Division 3 of Part 3.6 (High risk work);
atmospheric monitoring means a procedure by which air is sampled within the breathing zone of a person to measure and evaluate the person's exposure to airborne contaminants;
audiological examination means the testing and examination of a person's ear, and hearing threshold, for the purpose of establishing the type and cause of any hearing disorder;
audiometric test means the measurement of a person's air conduction hearing threshold levels by means of an electro-acoustic instrument (audiometer), equipped with earphones, that provides pure tones of specified discrete frequencies at known hearing levels;
Australian Qualifications Framework has the same meaning as AQF has in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006;
authorised assessor means a person who is authorised by the Authority under regulation 139 to carry out assessments of competency in relation to one or more classes of high risk work;
biological monitoring means the measurement and evaluation of a substance, or its metabolites, in the body tissue, fluids or exhaled air of a person exposed to the substance;
blood lead level means the concentration of lead in whole blood expressed in micromoles per litre (µmol/L) or micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL);
boiler means—
(a) in Part 3.6 (High risk work) and Schedules 3 and 4—
(i) a vessel, or an arrangement of vessels, and interconnecting parts in which steam or other vapour is generated, or water or another liquid is heated at a pressure above that of the atmosphere by the application of fire, the products of combustion or similar means (other than electrical power); and
(ii) the following equipment if directly associated with those vessels—
(A) pre-heaters, re-heaters, superheaters and economisers;
(B) boiler piping, boiler setting, supports, mountings, valves, gauges, fittings and controls up to, and including, the first connection point after the first valve or valve assembly;
but does not include—
(iii) a fully flooded or pressurised system in which water or other liquid is heated to a temperature lower than the normal atmospheric boiling temperature of the liquid; or
(iv) any vessel if the design of the vessel enables it to operate deprived of all liquid or vapour that is intended to be heated, without affecting the structure or operation of the vessel; or
(v) a direct-fired process heater; and
(b) in any other case, a boiler within the meaning of AS/NZS 1200 Pressure equipment with a hazard level A, B, C or D as determined by AS 4343 Pressure equipment—Hazard levels;
boom-type elevating work platform means a powered telescoping device (including vertical and inclined), hinged device or articulated device or any combination of those devices used to support a platform on which persons, equipment and materials may be elevated to perform work, but does not include an industrial lift truck;
breathing zone means a hemisphere of 300 millimetres radius extending in front of a person's face measured from the mid‑point of an imaginary straight line joining the ears;
bridge crane means a crane that—
(a) consists of one or more bridge beams mounted at each end to an end carriage; and
(b) is capable of travelling along elevated runways; and
(c) has one or more hoisting mechanisms that are able to travel across the bridge beam or beams;
building maintenance equipment means a suspended platform, including a building maintenance unit or a swing stage, that incorporates permanently installed overhead supports to provide access to the faces of a building for maintenance, but does not include a suspended scaffold;
building maintenance unit means a powered appliance with a suspended platform, permanently installed or intended to be permanently installed on a building and specifically designed to provide access to the faces of the building for a person working from the platform;
carcinogens licence means—
(a) a licence to use a Schedule 10 carcinogenic substance at a laboratory; or
(b) a licence to use a Schedule 11 carcinogenic substance at a laboratory; or
(c) a licence to use a Schedule 11 carcinogenic substance at a workplace other than a laboratory;
CAS number means the unique identifier allocated to a particular chemical substance by the Chemical Abstracts Service;
chairlift means an aerial powered ropeway that incorporates either elevated open chairs or closed cabins (gondola-type);
Chemical Abstracts Service (or CAS) is a division of the American Chemical Society;
chemical identity means a name that gives a chemical a unique chemical identity and that—
(a) accords with the nomenclature systems of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry or the Chemical Abstracts Service; or
(b) is a name that is—
(i) ordinarily used to identify the chemical; and
(ii) recognised by the scientific community;
Class, in Schedule 14, has the same meaning as in the ADG Code;
Class A asbestos removal licence means a licence granted under Part 6.1 (Licences) that permits the holder to perform asbestos removal work in accordance with regulations 264 and 265;
Class A asbestos removal work, means asbestos removal work (other than limited asbestos removal work) involving the removal of—
(a) friable asbestos; or
(b) asbestos-contaminated dust (other than asbestos-contaminated dust associated with or derived from the removal of non-friable asbestos);
Class B asbestos removal licence means a licence granted under Part 6.1 (Licences) that permits the holder to perform asbestos removal work in accordance with regulation 265;
Class B asbestos removal work, means asbestos removal work (other than limited asbestos removal work) involving the removal of—
(a) non-friable asbestos; or
(b) asbestos-contaminated dust associated with or derived from the removal of non-friable asbestos;
Classification Code has the same meaning as in the ADG Code;
competency standard means the standard set under the unit of competency for the specified VET course for a licence to perform a class of high risk work;
concrete-placing boom means powered mobile truck-mounted plant incorporating a knuckle boom that is capable of power-operated slewing and luffing to place concrete by way of pumping concrete through a pipeline attached to, or forming part of, the boom of the plant;
confined space means a space in any vat, tank, pit, pipe, duct, flue, oven, chimney, silo, reaction vessel, container, receptacle, underground sewer or well, or any shaft, trench or tunnel or other similar enclosed or partially enclosed structure, if the space—
(a) is, or is intended to be, or is likely to be, entered by any person; and
(b) has a limited or restricted means for entry or exit that makes it physically difficult for a person to enter or exit the space; and
(c) is, or is intended to be, at normal atmospheric pressure while any person is in the space; and
(d) contains, or is intended to contain, or is likely to contain—
(i) an atmosphere that has a harmful level of any contaminant; or
(ii) an atmosphere that does not have a safe oxygen level; or
(iii) any stored substance, except liquids, that could cause engulfment—
but does not include a shaft, trench or tunnel that is a mine or is part of the workings of a mine;
confined space entry permit means a confined space entry permit issued by an employer in accordance with regulation 63;
construction excavation, in Part 5.1 (Construction), means the following—
(a) a trench if the excavated depth is more than 1⋅5 metres;
(b) a shaft if the excavated depth is more than 2 metres;
(c) a tunnel;
construction induction card means a construction induction card issued by the Authority under regulation 346;
construction induction training means a unit of competency of general occupational health and safety induction training to the construction industry endorsed or accredited under the Australian Qualifications Framework;
Construction Industry Basic Induction training course means the Construction Industry Basic Induction training course conducted under the auspices of the tripartite industry forum, Foundations for Safety Construction Industry Training Agreement commencing 1 February 2001;
construction project means a project involving construction work and includes preparation and planning of the proposed construction work;
construction RTO means an RTO whose registration allows delivery of—
(a) construction induction training; or
(b) the Construction Industry Basic Induction training course;
construction statement of attainment means a certification issued by a construction RTO stating that the person to whom it is issued has completed—
(a) construction induction training; or
(b) the Construction Industry Basic Induction training course—
but does not include a certification issued by a construction RTO, or an RTO in a class of construction RTOs, determined by the Authority under regulation 6, if the certification is issued after the determination takes effect;
construction work has the meaning given by regulation 321;
consumer package means a package that is intended for retail display and sale;
container, in Part 4.1 (Hazardous substances), means anything in or by which a hazardous substance is or has been wholly or partly encased, covered, enclosed, contained or packed (whether empty, partially full or full), but does not include the fuel tank of a vehicle;
contaminant means any substance that may be harmful to health or safety;
conveyor means equipment (including the superstructure, gear and auxiliary equipment used in connection with the equipment) by which loads are, or are capable of being, raised, lowered, transported or continuously driven, by—
(a) an endless belt, rope or chain or other similar means; or
(b) buckets, trays or other containers or fittings moved by an endless belt, rope, chain or similar means; or
(c) a rotating screw; or
(d) a vibration or walking beam; or
(e) a powered roller conveyor if the rollers are driven by an endless belt, rope or chain or other similar means;
Country Fire Authority has the same meaning as Authority has in the Country Fire Authority Act 1958;
crane means an appliance intended for raising or lowering a load and moving it horizontally (including the supporting structure of the appliance and its foundations), but does not include any of the following—
(a) an industrial lift-truck;
(b) earthmoving machinery;
(c) an amusement structure;
(d) a tractor;
(e) an industrial robot;
(f) a conveyor;
(g) building maintenance equipment;
(h) a suspended scaffold;
(i) a lift;
Reg. 5 def. of crystalline silica inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1).
crystalline silica means crystalline polymorphs of silica, including the following substances—
(a) quartz;
(b) cristobalite;
(c) tridymite;
(d) tripoli;
Reg. 5 def. of crystalline silica hazard control statement inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1).
crystalline silica hazard control statement has the meaning given by regulation 319D;
Reg. 5 def. of crystalline silica process inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1).
crystalline silica process has the meaning given by regulation 319B;
Reg. 5 def. of crystalline silica substance inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1).
crystalline silica substance means any substance that—
(a) contains more than 1% crystalline silica; and
(b) is reasonably likely to be mechanically processed at a workplace; and
(c) is not in a respirable form;
current safety data sheet, in relation to a hazardous substance, means—
(a) the safety data sheet prepared for the substance by the manufacturer or importing supplier of the substance under regulation 144(1) or equivalent legislation; or
(b) if the safety data sheet referred to in paragraph (a) has been revised by the manufacturer or importing supplier of the substance, the safety data sheet as revised;
C-weighted means a measure using a filter designed to reflect the response of the human ear at high sound pressure levels;
dangerous goods means dangerous goods within the meaning of the Dangerous Goods Act 1985;
decommissioning, in relation to plant, includes performing necessary adjustments, tests and inspections before the plant ceases operation and during the process of ceasing operation;
demolition, in Part 5.1 (Construction), means the complete or partial dismantling of a building or structure by planned and controlled methods or procedures;
derrick crane means a powered slewing strut‑boom crane with its boom pivoted at the base of a mast and—
(a) the mast is either guyed (guyed-derrick) or held by backstays (stiff-legged derrick); and
(b) the boom is capable of luffing under load;
direct-fired process heater means an arrangement of tubes comprising one or more coils located in the radiant zone or convection zone or both of a combustion chamber, the primary purpose of which is to raise the temperature of a process fluid circulated through the coils to allow distillation, fractionation, reaction or other petrochemical process of the process fluid, whether the fluid is liquid or gas, or a combination of liquid and gas;
Division, in Schedule 14, has the same meaning as in the ADG Code;
dogging work means one or both of the following—
(a) the application of slinging techniques, including the selection or inspection of lifting gear, to sling a load;
(b) the directing of a crane or hoist operator in the movement of a load when the load is out of the operator's view;
domestic premises means domestic premises used solely for domestic purposes;
Reg. 5 def. of Dust Class H Vacuum inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1).
Dust Class H Vacuum means—
(a) a vacuum that complies with the Class H requirements in AS/NZS 60335.2.69:2017—Household and similar electrical appliances—Safety—Part 2.69: Particular requirements for wet and dry vacuum cleaners, including power brush, for commercial use; or
(b) a vacuum that complies with equivalent requirements to the requirements referred to in paragraph (a);
earthmoving machinery means powered plant used to excavate, load, transport, compact or spread earth, overburden, rubble, spoil, aggregate or similar material, but does not include a tractor or industrial lift truck or a vehicle designed to be used primarily as a means of transport on public roads;
emergency plan means—
(a) in Part 5.2 (Major hazard facilities), an emergency plan prepared under regulation 375; or
(b) in Part 5.3 (Mines), an emergency plan prepared under regulation 433;
emergency procedures means—
(a) in Part 3.3 (Prevention of falls), the procedures established by an employer under regulation 49; or
(b) in Part 3.4 (Confined spaces), the procedures established by an employer under regulation 69; or
(c) in Part 4.4 (Asbestos), the procedures documented under regulation 247; or
(d) in Part 5.1 (Construction), the procedures referred to in regulation 331; or
(e) in Part 5.2 (Major hazard facilities), the procedures referred to in regulation 398;
emergency service means—
(a) Ambulance Service—Victoria; or
(b) the Country Fire Authority; or
(c) the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board; or
(d) Victoria Police; or
(e) the Victoria State Emergency Service Authority;
emergency service employee means any of the following, other than a volunteer—
(a) an officer or member of a metropolitan fire brigade;
(b) an officer or member of an urban fire brigade or rural fire brigade within the meaning of the Country Fire Authority Act 1958;
(c) an employee of Ambulance Service—Victoria;
(d) a member of the Victoria State Emergency Service;
(e) a police officer;
Section 23 of the Act requires the employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons, other than employees of the employer, are not exposed to risks to their health or safety. This includes volunteers.
emergency stop device means a device that immediately stops, or effectively isolates the hazardous operation of, an item of plant and requires manual resetting;
An emergency stop device is not an operational stop control (see the definition of operational stop control).
emergency work, in Part 5.1 (Construction), means work that is required to be immediately undertaken to rectify an unexpected breakdown of an essential service (including gas, water, sewerage, electricity and telecommunications) to enable continuance of that service;
employer's asbestos register means the employer's asbestos register kept under regulation 235 as revised in accordance with Part 4.4 (Asbestos);
Reg. 5 def. of engineered stone inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1), substituted by S.R. No. 63/2024 reg. 5(1).
engineered stone means an artificial product that—
(a) contains 1% or more crystalline silica, determined as a weight/weight (w/w) concentration; and
(b) is created by combining natural stone materials with other chemical constituents such as water, resins or pigments; and
(c) becomes hardened; and
(d) is not any of the following—
(i) a concrete or cement product;
(ii) a brick, paver or other similar block;
(iii) a ceramic wall or floor tile;
(iv) a porcelain product that does not contain resin;
(v) a sintered stone product that does not contain resin;
(vi) a roof tile;
(vii) grout, mortar or render;
(viii) plasterboard;
(ix) a product determined not to be engineered stone by the Authority under regulation 6(1)(ea).
Reg. 5 def. of engineered stone control plan inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1), revoked by S.R. No. 63/2024 reg. 5(2).
Reg. 5 def. of engineered stone licence inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1), revoked by S.R. No. 63/2024 reg. 5(2).
Reg. 5 def. of engineered stone process inserted by S.R. No. 137/2021 reg. 5(1).
engineered stone process has the meaning given by regulation 319E;
engineering control means a physical control of any kind that is designed to eliminate or reduce a risk, but does not include—
(a) a system of work or procedure; or
(b) the use of personal protective equipment;
Reg. 5 def. of Environment Protection Authority amended by S.R. No. 88/2021 reg. 7.
Environment Protection Authority has the same meaning as Authority has in the Environment Protection Act 2017;
equivalent legislation means legislation of another State or Territory or the Commonwealth relating to the use of hazardous substances at a workplace;
Laws of another State or Territory or the Commonwealth relating to work health and safety.
evidence of licence document, in relation to a licence, means the document given to the licence holder by the Authority under regulation 456 and includes any replacement document issued under Part 6.1 (Licences);
explosive-powered tool means an implement used to drive fasteners (including nails, bolts and screws) against, into or through material by means of explosive charges, and includes every attachment to, and accessory of, the implement, but does not include a firearm within the meaning of the Firearms Act 1996;
exposure standard means an exposure standard set out in the Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants, published by SafeWork Australia on its Internet site;
Reg. 5 def. of facility substituted by S.R. No. 112/2021 reg. 5(b).
facility means—
(a) any building or other structure on land—
(i) that is a workplace; and
(ii) at which Schedule 14 materials are present or likely to be present; or
(b) any ship, floating platform or other place that the Authority determines is a facility under regulation 6A;
fall, in Part 3.3 (Prevention of falls), means a person's involuntary fall of more than 2 metres;
fall arrest system means equipment or material, or a combination of equipment and material, that is designed to arrest the fall of a person;
Industrial safety net, catch platform or safety harness system (other than a travel restraint system).
fatigue, in relation to an employee at a mine, means an acute or ongoing state of tiredness that exposes the employee or any other person at the mine to a risk to health or safety;
f/ml means fibres per millilitre;
forklift truck, in Part 3.6 (High risk work) and Schedule 3, means a powered industrial truck equipped with a mast and an elevating load carriage to which is attached a pair of fork arms or other loadholding attachment, but does not include the following—
(a) a pedestrian-operated industrial truck;
(b) a pallet truck that is unable, by design, to raise its fork arms 900 mm or more above the ground;
(c) an order-picking forklift truck;
(d) a tractor fitted with a pair of fork arms or other loadholding attachment;
friable means, when dry—
(a) may be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure; or
(b) as a result of a work process becomes such that it may be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure;
gantry crane means—
(a) in Part 3.6 (High risk work) and Schedule 3 a powered crane that—
(i) consists of one or more bridge beams supported at each end by legs mounted on end carriages; and
(ii) is capable of travelling on supporting surfaces or deck levels, whether fixed or not; and
(iii) has a crab with one or more hoisting units that are able to travel across the bridge beam or beams; or
(b) in any other case a powered crane that—
(i) consists of a bridge beam or beams that are supported at one or both ends by legs mounted to end carriages; and
(ii) is capable of travelling along runways; and
(iii) has one or more hoisting mechanisms;
gas cylinder means a rigid vessel not exceeding 3000 litres water capacity and without openings or integral attachments on the shell other than at the ends, designed for the storage and transport of gas under pressure and to which AS 2030—Gas Cylinders applies;