Individual / Organisation name:Joe Kovacic

What state/territory: NSW

Review of the National Guidance Material for Working Safely on the Waterfront

Public Comment Response Form

Complete and submit this form by5pm AEST friDAY 10 AUGUSt 2012to

Comments on content of the national guidance material
Section/page no. / Comment
Comments on additional issues identified in section 4.2 of the Discussion Paper
Section/page no. / Comment
Hatchmen / The role of the Hatchman should be preserved in the new code of practice. The hatchman has better view in certain circumstances and provides another set of eyes for the crane driver. This helps with safety in preventing injuries or fatalities when poor cargo loads or snagged twistlocks can unsettle a load during unloading. Personally I am a Maintenance employee and have witnessed the benefits of having a hatchman during a snagged twistlock during a breakdown when my vision was limited from the Crane drivers cabin. We cannot have stevedoring companies watering down the references as this impacts on employees safety in the workplace.
Stevedoring qualifications / Should the guidance material refer to the qualifications (Cert II, Cert III and Cert IV in Stevedoring) that have been developed for the stevedoring industry?
The hatchman requires many skills in his role therefore reference of Cert 2,3 &4 should be made to qualifications and experience required to to do the job safely.
Safety Induction skill-set / Should the newly developed stevedoring ‘safety skill-set’ be used to underpin safety inductions?
Safety is always important and should be the number one priority in stevedoring operations. Having trained and qualified stevedores helps achieve a safer workplace.
Use of checklists / Should the safety checklists, which set out examples of the types of hazards, and acceptable/unacceptable ways of handling those hazards, be maintained in the guidance material?
Procedures and checklists should be maintained. Any short cuts leads to accidents.
Comments on the implementation of the national guidance material in each jurisdiction which may have included launches, information and training sessions, and whether it has been useful in the workplace as a resource for improving safety practices.
Section/page no. / Comment
Other comments