NGMW452

Individual / Organisation name: Steve Dunlop

What state/territory: Offshore

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

Public Comment Response Form

Complete and submit this form by 5pm AEST friDAY 10 AUGUSt 2012 to

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 / As an Offshore Crane Operator of considerable experience I find it rediculous for management to suggest that any lift is safe to be done without the crane op having sight of the load for the duration. The hatchmans position is essential and must be preserved to ensure the safety of all personel involved in the operation.
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?
Stevedoring is a highly dangerous and specialised industry and all employees involved should be required to hold relevent qualifications. The scope of required training should be decided through consultation between AMSA, Management and the relevent employees organisations hopefully ensuring that all training deemed necessary will be relevent, practical and continually updated in keeping pace with the industry.
Safety Induction skill-set / Should the newly developed stevedoring ‘safety skill-set’ be used to underpin safety inductions?
Safety Inductions are of paramount importance in any industry or workplace especially in one so hazardous as the Waterfront.
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?
By doing away with the checklist system in favour of a much broader set of recommendations can only reduce the overall safety in the workplace by introducing "grey areas" in which job specific hazards may be overlooked in the hope of achieving miniscule productivity improvemnet. The safety of the workforce must always come first and to suggest otherwise is criminal.
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