A report on Work Health and Safety (WHS) issues in regards to Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and Synthetic Greenhouse Gases (SGG) is available to download.
The Analysis of Work Health and Safety Data for the Use of Synthetic Greenhouse Gases and Substitutes in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry report is a combination of a review and an analysis of the 2012 report, Baseline Analysis of Work Health and Safety Data and Information for the Use of Synthetic Greenhouse Gases and Substitutes in the Australian Gas Industry Sector.
According to the Department of the Environment’s website, the 2015 report “provides a detailed analysis of the WHS issues facing Australia’s RAC industry now and in the future. It provides key findings that identify roles and responsibilities for industry, state and territory regulators and the Commonwealth to effectively address these issues.”
The report identified and analysed five main issues relating to the management of WHS risks identfied in the 2012 report: WHS risks from the perspective of WHS regulators, developments in international standards, the effect of the introduction & repeal of the Carbon Tax and two WHS incidents.
The outcomes from the analysis of these five main issues included, but were not limited to: a debate about how a national licensing system could work especially with technicians working close to state borders, discussions of reporting requirements for workers compensation claims in different states, highlighting a new draft Standard AS/NZS 5149 Refrigeration Safety and Environment that is due to be released, revealing that the quantity of gas received by Refrigerant Reclaim Australia for destruction while the Carbon Tax was implemented was reduced by half and the revelation of WHS incidents following two major incidents in Victoria and WA.
The report concluded with an emphasis on the need to increase reporting of minor WHS incidents, as well as increased education programs on WHS in the RAC industry so opportunities can be provided for early intervention.
The Analysis of Work Health and Safety Data for the Use of Synthetic Greenhouse Gases and Substitutes in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry report can be read in full here.
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