INTRODUCTION
The Work Health & Safety Management System (WHSMS) has been developed to assist the clergy, staff, contractors, volunteers, parishioners and visitors of the Diocese of Armidale in understanding their obligations for work, health and safety. These obligations are specified by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, and relevant regulations, standards and codes of practice.
The existing WHSMS manual was published in 2010 and last reviewed in 2018. During the last decade there has been a substantial change in the WHS legislation, notably an increased obligation on the ‘officers’ of an organisation to provide a safe environment and increased penalties for breaches of that obligation. The officers of a diocese are principally the bishop and clergy, the Diocesan Financial Administrator and the principal officer holders of the diocesan agencies. The penalties include monetary fines and imprisonment. The first may be applied to both the organisation and to individuals; the latter, when used, are applied to individuals.
Ultimately the provisions of the Act apply to anyone on Diocesan property at any time. They apply equally to the roofing contractor replacing the roof on a two storey building, to staff working in an office, to volunteers maintaining the gardens around a parish church and to parishioners attending Mass.
This fully revised edition of the WHSMS has been drafted to reflect the current obligations of all members of the Diocese and those who visit it.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
Two editions of the WHSMS are available – a web version for use when information is required directly via a web browser and a print edition for those who prefer a printed copy. The two editions are identical in content and each is updated as required to comply with changes to legislation, standards and codes of practice.