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Plant/equipment/machinery risk assessments

Find out at which stage that equipment, plants or machinery require a risk assessment

Different stages of a piece of plant/equipment/machinery’s working life need a different risk assessment in accordance with the Victorian OHS Plant Regulations.

Refer to 50-001 Equipment OHS documentation guidelines for information on the different stages of a piece of equipment’s life cycle and which OHS documents are needed for each life cycle stage:

  • 51-001 Equipment design hazard analysis form
  • Plant risk assessment form
  • Task risk assessment form
  • 10-002 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) template

What plant/machinery/equipment requires risk assessments?

All plants/machinery/equipment require risk assessments if they are used in teaching or research activities that:

  1. by way of a mechanical action
    • cuts, drills, punches or grinds
    • presses, forms, hammers, joins or moulds material
    • combines, mixes, sorts, packages, assembles, knits or weaves material.
  2. is a temporary structure that supports a load (dead weight or human); or produces, uses or stores a pressure or vacuum
  3. produces, uses or stores energy (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, potential energy)
  4. lifts or moves people or materials (other than a ship, boat, aircraft, or vehicle designed to be used primarily as a means of transport on a public road or rail)
  5. is a laser
  6. is considered to be plant and needs to have a Plant risk assessment form completed by the owner/users of the plant.

Refer to 50-001 equipment OHS documentation guidelines for detailed information as to which OHS documents to use.

Filing and retention of the risk assessment document

Completed plant/equipment/machinery risk assessment forms are to be filed in Chapter 5.1 of the applicable department/unit OHS Documentation Folder.

The completed risk assessment form needs to be retained in the applicable department/unit OHS Documentation Folder for the life of the piece of plant/equipment/machinery PLUS five (5) years, after which it can be disposed of via a confidential waste bin.

Download the 50-001 Equipment OHS documentation guidelines

Contact

For further advice on OHS risk management for plant, equipment or machinery, email the MSE OHS Unit.