PLANT SAFETY CHECKLIST

PURPOSE
To assist Seventh-day Adventist Church administrators, managers,
supervisors and employees, including volunteers, to control risks arising
from the use of plant.

WHAT IS PLANT?
“Plant” is defined in the National Standard for Plant as “any machinery,
equipment (including scaffolding), appliance, implement or tool and any
component or fitting thereof or accessory thereto.”

The definition is broad, encompassing a broad range of equipment and

items found in the workplace. Plant regulations in Australian jurisdictions
are based on the National Standard for Plant. There is some variation
between states as to what is specifically covered by the regulations.
Persons with responsibility for plant safety should refer to local regulations
and guidance material provided by local OHS regulators.

WHAT THIS GUIDE PROVIDES

• Checklists based on Chapter 5 of the OHS Regulations 2001 (NSW).
While compliance with these requirements should ensure the safety
of plant in each jurisdiction, responsibility for compliance in each
jurisdiction rests with the employer. Each checklist identifies the
specific clause on which it is based, eg “Guarding (cl. 90).
• Plant Register.
• Plant Risk Management Worksheet.
• Risk Management Plan.

WHAT THIS GUIDE DOES NOT COVER

• Obligations of Designers, Manufactures and Suppliers
• Registration of Plant
• Obligations of Hirers or Lessors of Plant
• Amusement Devices
• Plant under Pressure
• Earth Moving Machinery

WHAT ARE THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS?

The regulations require employers to adopt a risk management approach
to managing plant. This requires employers to systematically identify all
hazards associated with workplace plant and its use, assess the risk,
implement necessary controls, and to monitor and review those controls
to ensure they remain effective.

Plant Safety Checklist Page 1 of 19 July 2004

EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT
Plant users are more likely to be aware of hazards associated with specific
plant. Effective risk management utilises the knowledge of those involved
in the task or activity under assessment. In most cases employers and
their employees have the knowledge and skills to successfully manage
risk. At times specialist knowledge and expertise will be required.

HIERARCHY OF CONTROL
If elimination of the risk is not reasonably practicable, the following
measures (in the order specified) shall be taken to minimise the risk to the
lowest level reasonably practicable:
• Substituting the hazard giving rise to the risk with a hazard that
gives rise to a lesser risk.
• Isolating the hazard from the person put at risk.
• Minimising the risk by engineering means.
• Minimising the risk by administrative means (eg. by adopting safe
work practices or providing appropriate training, instruction or
information).
• Using personal protective equipment.

A combination of the above measures must be taken to minimise risk to

the lowest level reasonably practicable if no single measure is sufficient
for that purpose.

GENERAL RISK ASSESSMENTS

A general assessment of risk is sufficient if hazards of the same kind occur
in different places or circumstances within the workplace so long as that
assessment has been applied to each place or circumstance.

USING THIS PACKAGE

• List all plant in the “Plant Register”. Although the definition of plant
is broad, the regulations and information published by OHS
regulators will guide you in the things you should list. Although
some equipment, such as scaffolds in Queensland and chainsaws in
Victoria do not fall within the scope of their respective plant
regulations, hazardous equipment that is not covered by regulation
should not be ignored.
• Identify all hazards associated with each item of plant. List hazards
on the “Plant Risk Management Worksheet”. Checklists included in
this package will guide you in relation to specific regulatory
requirements. Material published on the internet by regulators, state
education authorities and others may also assist hazard
identification.
• Assess the risk associated with each hazard using the matrix
provided in Table 1 or other similar tool provided by a regulatory

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 authority. List the risks, likelihood (L/hood), consequence (Cons) and
risk rating on the “Plant Risk Management Worksheet”.
• Determine priorities for hazard control based upon the Risk Rating
determined from the above step. The lower the numerical value
arrived at using the matrix, the higher the priority. Care should be
taken when relying on this method alone to determine hazard
control priorities. Although an unguarded machine may be regarded
as a low priority item, failure to guard the machine is a breach of the
regulations that may result in a significant penalty.
• List the recommended controls in the “Plant Risk Management
Worksheet”. Include both short and long term controls as
appropriate. Controls should reflect the priorities of the hierarchy of
controls (above).
• Transfer relevant information to the “Plant Risk Management Plan”,
including the controls agreed upon. Complete the other fields in this
document and you have an action plan for managing risks
associated with plant.
• Complete the outstanding fields in the “Plant Register”. Include a
date to review the risk assessment.
Table 1: Risk Assessment Matrix
Consequences
Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Catastrophic
Likelihood 1 2 3 4 5
A (almost
H H E E E
certain)
B (likely) M H H E E
C
L M H E E
(moderate)
D (unlikely) L L M H E
E (rare) L L M H H

Notes:
1. Matrix, including the number of categories included, may be varied to suit the
requirements of the employing organisation or workplace.
2. Employing entities may develop specific descriptors for ‘Consequences’ and
‘Likelihood’ to reflect local requirements.
3. The following legend indicates an appropriate response relevant to the level of
risk. Each employing entity should clearly define management responsibilities and
accountabilities for responding to different levels of risk.

Legend
E: extreme risk; immediate action required
H: high risk; senior management attention needed
M: moderate risk; management responsibility must be specified
L: low risk; manage by routine procedures
Matrix from AS/NZS 4360:1999

SOME RESOURCES

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The following list is not exhaustive. Other resources may be more
appropriate to your circumstances. Use of these and other resources will
help you to make better informed decisions on your plant safety
obligations.
• Plant Guide 2001 (NSW WorkCover). Provides guidance on
complying with plant safety regulations. Available through
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/Publications/default.htm. Go >
Industry > Plant, scroll down to find publication.
• A Guide to Practical Machine Guarding (Workplace Health & Safety,
QLD). Available through http://www.whs.qld.gov.au. Go >
Publications > Safety guidelines > guides > G >
• Machine Guarding, (SA Workplace Services). Provides an overview of
the risk assessment process as it applies to guarding. Available
through http://www.eric.sa.gov.au/home.jsp. Go > Major Hazards >
Machine Guarding >
• Plant Hazard Checklist (Vic WorkCover). Provides a range of
questions to help assessors identify a range of hazards associated
with plant. Includes a range of hazards associated with the need for
guarding, plus issues such as ergonomics, electrical hazards, fluids
under pressure, etc. Available through
http://www.workcover.vic.gov.au/dir090/vwa/home.nsf. Go >
Publications > General publications > by category > plant &
equipment >
• The South Australia Department of Education and Children’s
Services provides a range of information that should prove helpful.
http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/ohsw/. The publication “Guidelines for
the Safe Use of Machinery” has been specifically prepared for the
School Design and Technology area. This, along with the Fact
Sheets and Standards for Plant available at the same site, should
also be helpful in other locations.
• The Management of Safety at Woodworking Machines at
http://www.safetyline.wa.gov.au/. Go > Essentials > Plant > and
scroll down to find the title. Provides specific guidance on the safe
set up and use of woodworking machinery.
• Making your Forklift Work for You – A Ten Minute Checklist for
Managers & Supervisors at
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/Publications/default.htm. Go >
Safety guides > and scroll down to find the title.

Plant Safety Checklist Page 4 of 19 July 2004

 Seventh-day Adventist Church
Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Guarding (Cl.90)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________
__________________ __________________
__________________
(This section continues on the following page)
Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment
s  to
 plant
w’sh
eet
Where access to a danger point is not
required during normal operation,
maintenance or cleaning, are all danger points
or areas guarded by a permanently fixed
physical barrier?
Where access to a danger point is required
during normal operation, maintenance or
cleaning, are all guards designed to be:
• an interlocking type physical barrier? or
• a presence sensing safeguarding
system?
Does guarding make by-passing or defeating
it, whether deliberately or by accident, as
difficult as is reasonably practicable?
Is guarding of solid construction and securely
mounted so as to resist impact and shock?
Is guarding designed so as not to cause a risk
in itself?
Are guards intended to provide protection
from parts of the plant or work pieces that
may break, disintegrate or be ejected
sufficient to effectively contain the parts, work
pieces or fragments?
Where it may be necessary to clear any
jamming or blockage of moving parts during
operation, are employees aware of and trained
in the work procedures, devices or tools
specified by the designer or other competent
person?

Select the Guard

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There are a number of different types of guards, all suited to particular purposes. You
must consider which type of guard is best suited to your needs. The different types
include:

• fixed guards – have no moving parts and prevent contact between moving
machinery parts and any part of the body. They offer protection only when
properly fixed in position. Fixed guards should be easy to remove and replace, but
only be able to be opened or removed with a tool.

• Interlocking guards – are moveable, with the moving part interconnected with
the control system. Interconnections are usually either electrical, mechanical
hydraulic or pneumatic. The interlock prevents the machinery from operating
unless the guard is closed.

• automatic guards – automatically move into position as the machine, or cycle,

is started. They are also know as push away guards. These are only suitable on
slow machines.

• distance guards – prevent access to dangerous areas through a barrier or fence.

• trip guards (presence sensing devices) – these stop the machine when a
person gets into a position where they are liable to be injured. A photo-electrical
curtain is an example of this type of guard.
From A Guide to Practical Machine Guarding, Workplace Health and Safety, QLD

Further Assistance With Guarding

Guidelines for the Safe Use of Machinery, pages 8 to 13. See also guarding
requirements for specific plant given in the publication Guidelines for the Safe
Use of Machinery.

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 Seventh-day Adventist Church
Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Operational Controls
(cl.91) & Emergency Stops and Warning Devices (cl.92)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________
__________________ __________________
__________________

Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment

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Are all operational controls suitably identified
so that their nature and function is clear?
‘On’ coloured green, identified by the word ‘start’ or
symbol I. (see below for ‘stop’)
Are all operational controls located so as to be
operated readily and conveniently by each
person using the plant?
Within easy reach of operators in their normal working
position. The operator should not come within the
proximity of moving machine parts when using the switch.
Switches should not interfere with adjustments or
maintenance of the machine or vice versa.
Are all operational controls located or guarded
to prevent unintentional activation?
No foot-operated start controls. Start buttons should be
flush or recessed.
Are all operational controls able to be locked in
the “off” position (or include an alternative
method of power isolation) to enable all
motive power and forces to be disconnected?
To safeguard against inadvertent operation during
maintenance or repair or, in the case of class rooms,
unauthorised use.
Where it is not reasonably practicable for the
plant to be stopped during maintenance and
cleaning, is it provided with operational
controls that allow safe controlled operation?
Where plant is designed to be operated or
attended by more than one person and more
than one control is fitted to the plant, are the
controls of the “stop and lock-off” type so that
the plant cannot be restarted after a stop
control has been used unless each stop control

Plant Safety Checklist Page 7 of 19 July 2004

is reset?
Where warning devices are necessary to
secure safety, are they placed in a position
that serves that purpose?
Are emergency stop devices prominently,
clearly and durably marked and immediately
accessible to each operator?
Are emergency stop devices provided with
handles, bars or push buttons that are
coloured red?
Are emergency stop devices unable to be
affected by electrical or electronic circuit
malfunction?

Further Assistance With Operational Controls, Including Emergency

Stops and Warning Devices
Guidelines for the Safe Use of Machinery, pages 26 to 29.

Seventh-day Adventist Church

Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Installation, Erection
and Commissioning (cl.136)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________
__________________ __________________
__________________

Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment

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 plant
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Is plant erected, installed or commissioned
having regard to the instructions of the
designer and manufacturer, or to instructions
developed by a competent person, in so far as
they relate to health and safety?
Is plant installed, erected or commissioned by
a competent person who has been provided
with all information necessary to enable the
plant to be installed and commissioned safely?
Is the plant installed, erected and
commissioned in a location that is suitable for
the operation being undertaken and the type
of plant being used?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 8 of 19 July 2004

 Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment
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Is plant designed to be operated in a fixed
position positioned on and, if necessary, fixed
to, a secure base in order to prevent
inadvertent movement when power is applied
or while the plant is in operation?
Is there sufficient clear space around the plant
to allow it to be used and repaired?
Guidelines for the Safe Use of Machinery provides, for
each plant item contained, recommended spatial
allowances.
Is there sufficient space for access to and
egress from parts of the plant that require
cleaning and maintenance?
Are emergency lighting, safety doors and
alarm systems provided if access to plant is
required as part of normal operation and
persons may be trapped and exposed to
increased risk due to heat, cold or lack of
oxygen?
Are interim safeguards used during testing of
the final means of safeguarding are not in
place?
So far as can be determined by
commissioning, is the plant safe for transfer
into active service?

Seventh-day Adventist Church

Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Particular Risk Control
Measures (cl.136)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Safety Checklist Page 9 of 19 July 2004

 __________________ __________________
__________________
(This section continues on the following page)
Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment
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Do operators receive adequate information,
training and supervision to the extent
necessary to minimise the risks to health and
safety?
Is plant only used for the purpose for which it
was designed unless a competent person has
made an assessment that the change in use
does not present an increased risk to health or
safety?
If safety features or devices are incorporated
into the plant, are they used as intended?
If it is not possible to eliminate the risk of
entanglement in plant with moving parts, are
persons prevented from operating or passing
in close proximity to the plant unless the risk
is controlled by guarding that meets the
requirements of the regulations, cl. 90(1) (See
Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Guarding) or the use
of a safe system of work?
If it is not possible to eliminate the risk of parts
of the plant or work pieces breaking,
disintegrating or being ejected from the plant,
are persons prevented from operating or
passing in close proximity to the plant unless
the risk is controlled by guarding that meets
the requirements of the regulations, cl. 90 (3)?
(See Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Guarding)
Are persons prevented from working between
fixed and traversing parts of the plant if there
is a risk to health or safety?
If plant can be remotely or automatically
energised and become a risk to health and
safety:
• is the immediate operating area of the
plant designated as a restricted space
and access to it controlled at all times?
and
• persons are prevented from working in
the immediate operating area of the
plant unless appropriate controls and
systems of work are used?
Are persons prevented from working in the
immediate vicinity of plant that could start
without warning and cause hazards unless
appropriate controls and systems of work are
in place?
Are pipes and other parts of plant that may
become hot and expose persons to risk
adequately guarded or insulated?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 10 of 19 July 2004

 Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment
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Are pipes and other parts of plant that may
become cold and expose persons to risk
adequately guarded or insulated?
Are fixed sources of heat, such as furnaces,
coke ovens and cooling racks, ventilated?
Are measures provided to prevent, as far as
practicable, unauthorised interference with or
alteration or use of plant that may make the
plant a risk to health or safety?
Is plant subject to appropriate checks, tests
and inspections necessary to minimise risks to
health and safety?
If the operation or condition of plant presents
an immediate risk to health or safety, is it
withdrawn from operation until the risk is
eliminated, or if this is not practicable,
reasonably controlled?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 11 of 19 July 2004

 Seventh-day Adventist Church
Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Inspection and Repair
(cl.137)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________
__________________ __________________
__________________

Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment

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Are the necessary facilities and systems of
work provided and maintained so as to
minimise the risks to health and safety of
persons maintaining, inspecting, altering,
repairing or cleaning the plant?
Are inspections, maintenance and cleaning
carried out having regard to procedures
recommended by the designer or
manufacturer, or developed by a competent
person?
Are all safety features and warning devices
maintained and tested?
If plant has been damaged to the extent that
its operation or condition is impaired and the
risk to health or safety is increased, does a
competent person assess the damage and
provide advice on:
• the nature of the damage? and
• whether the plant is able to be repaired
and, if so, what repairs must be carried
out to minimise risks to health and
safety?
Is repair, inspection and, if necessary, testing,
carried out by a competent person?
Are repairs to the plant carried out so as to
keep the plant within its design limits?
If access to plant is required for maintenance,
cleaning or repair, is the plant stopped and
one or more of the following measures used to
ensure safety:
• lockout or isolation devices?
• danger tags?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 12 of 19 July 2004

 • permit to work systems?
• other control measures?
If it is not practicable to carry out cleaning or
maintenance with the plant stopped, are
operational controls that permit controlled
movement of the plant fitted and safe systems
of work used?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 13 of 19 July 2004

 Seventh-day Adventist Church
Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Dismantling, Storage
and Disposal (cl.138)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________
__________________ __________________
__________________

Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment

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If plant is dismantled, is it dismantled by a
competent person?
Is all available information provided to the
employer by the designer or manufacturer
relevant to the dismantling of the plant made
available to the competent person?
If plant, including plant that is to be
dismantled, is to be stored, is it stored by a
competent person?
If plant contains materials that present a risk
to health or safety and the plant is to be
disposed of, is the disposal carried out by a
competent person?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 14 of 19 July 2004

 Seventh-day Adventist Church
Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Powered Mobile Plant
(PMP) (cl.142)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________
__________________ __________________
__________________
(This section continues on the following page)
Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment
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Is PMP used in a way that minimises the risk of
overturning or a falling object coming in
contact with the operator?
Where there is a risk of:
• PMP overturning; or
• an object falling on the operator; or
• an operator being ejected from the
seat;
are an appropriate combination of operator
protective devices provided, used and
maintained?
Where there is a risk of PMP colliding with
pedestrians or other PMP have appropriate
controls been implemented and maintained to
prevent or minimise the risk?
If a tractor designed to have a mass of 560 kg
or more but less than 15,000 kg is in use, is it
securely fitted with a roll-over protective
structure (ROPS) that conforms to the relevant
part of AS 1636?
AS 1636 Tractors – Roll-over protective structures –
Criteria and tests (Parts 1-3).
All tractors manufactured, imported or originally
purchased after 1981 must be fitted with a ROPS
that complies with the appropriate section of the
Standard. Tractors manufactured, imported or
originally purchased prior to 1982 must be fitted
with a ROPS that complies with the appropriate
section of the Standard or, where such a structure
is unavailable, a structure designed by a suitably
qualified engineer having regard to the
performance requirements of the relevant

Plant Safety Checklist Page 15 of 19 July 2004

 Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment
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Standard.
If the tractor is used in a place that is too low
for it to work while the ROPS is fitted, is the
structure lowered or removed only for the
period during which the tractor is used in such
a situation and only if other measures to
minimise risk of roll-over or harm from falling
objects are in place?
Where:
• PMP is fitted with a ROPS or a falling
object protective structure, and
• attachment points for the seat
restraints have been incorporated in
the original design of the plant,
are the seat restraints are fitted?
Is PMP fitted with warning devices appropriate
to effectively warn persons who are at risk
from movement of the plant?
Is it ensured that PMP is not used to carry, lift,
or lower a person other than the operator
unless:
• the plant was specifically designed to
carry persons? and
• if the plant includes a specifically
designed seat for carrying a passenger,
the person is seated in the seat? and
• the seat is fitted with appropriate seat
restraints? and
• the seat is located within a zone of
protection afforded by operator
protective devices?
Are industrial lift trucks equipped with
appropriate lifting attachments specifically
designed for the load to be lifted or moved?
Are industrial lift trucks used in a way that
minimises exposure to the operator to risks
arising from work practices or systems and the
particular environment in which the industrial
lift truck is used?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 16 of 19 July 2004

 Seventh-day Adventist Church
Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Plant Designed to Lift
or Move (cl.142)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________
__________________ __________________
__________________

Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment

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Is a clearly legible notice affixed in a
conspicuous place on all lifts or any lifting
machinery, specifying the rated capacity of
the plant in appropriate metric units or
maximum number of persons to be lifted, as
may be appropriate?
Is it ensured that, so far as is practicable, no
loads are suspended or travel over any
person?
Is it ensured that plant that is not specifically
designed for lifting or suspending loads is not
used for those tasks unless the plant provides
at least an equal level of safety to that of plant
specifically designed for those tasks?
Is all lifting or suspending done within the
rated capacity of the plant?
Is it ensured that persons are not lifted or
suspended by plant or an attachment to plant
(other than plant specifically designed for the
purpose) unless:
• use of another method of lifting or
suspending is not reasonably
practicable? and
• a suitable and adequate personnel box
or carrier, designed for the purpose, is
used and is securely attached to the
plant? and
• means are provided by which persons
being lifted or suspended can have safe
egress from the personnel box, carrier
or plant in the event of a failure in the
normal operation of the plant? and

Plant Safety Checklist Page 17 of 19 July 2004

 • the plant is suitably stabilised, and can
be maintained by the operator in that
state, at all times during which the
personnel box or carrier is in use? and
• a suitable fall arrest device is provided
to and worn by all persons who are
suspended in a personnel box or carrier
unless the box or carrier is fully
enclosed? and
• in the case of a crane, the crane has
drive-up and drive-down controls on
both the hoisting and luffing motions
and these controls are used by the
operator in the lifting and suspending
operations?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 18 of 19 July 2004

 Seventh-day Adventist Church
Plant Risk Assessment Checklist – Employer to Provide
Information (cl.144)
Site/Location: __________________ Date: ________

Assessor/s: __________________ __________________

__________________

Plant Covered by This Assessment

Name: ____________________________

Serial/Ident No’s: __________________ __________________

__________________
__________________ __________________
__________________

Requirement Ye No T’fer Comment

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Are persons involved in the commissioning,
installation, use and testing, and the de-
commissioning, dismantling and disposal of
plant with all available information concerning
health and safety about the plant?
Is all relevant information on emergency
procedures relating to plant displayed in a
manner that can be readily observed by
persons who may be exposed to risks arising
from the operation of the plant?
Where the design of plant for use at work is
contracted out is the person engaged to
design the plant provided with all relevant
information about matters relating to the plant
that may affect health or safety?

Plant Safety Checklist Page 19 of 19 July 2004