SSSP requirements under HSWA 2015
Under HSWA 2015, a PCBU must ensure health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable (section 36). A compliant SSSP identifies the site hazards (reg 5), controls them in the hierarchy order in reg 6, plans for emergencies (reg 14), covers overlapping duties (section 34), worker engagement (sections 58 and 59) and notifiable events (sections 56 and 57).
The duties your SSSP has to show
- •Section 36: the primary duty of care to ensure health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable
- •Reg 5: identify the hazards that could give rise to risk
- •Reg 6: control risks using the hierarchy: eliminate first, then substitute, isolate or engineer, then administrative controls, then PPE
- •Reg 7: maintain the controls so they stay effective
- •Reg 14: prepare, maintain and implement an emergency plan
- •Section 34: consult, co-operate and co-ordinate with the other PCBUs on site
- •Sections 58 and 59: engage with workers and have worker participation practices
- •Sections 56 and 57: notify WorkSafe New Zealand of notifiable events and keep records for at least five years
Particular hazardous work you must notify
Some work must be notified to WorkSafe New Zealand at least 24 hours before it starts. This includes work where a person could fall five metres or more, work in an excavation deeper than 1.5 metres that a person has to enter, certain scaffolding, and the use of explosives. Your SSSP should identify any particular hazardous work on the site and record the notification.
Reasonably practicable, not perfect
HSWA asks for what is reasonably practicable, weighing the likelihood and degree of harm against what it takes to control it. A good SSSP shows you have thought this through for your actual work, rather than listing every hazard in the world. Controls have to be specific enough for a supervisor to put in place.
Common questions
Does HSWA 2015 use the term SSSP?
No. HSWA and the General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016 set out the duties; the SSSP is the industry document, following Site Safe conventions, that shows how you meet them on a particular site.
What is a PCBU?
A PCBU is a "person conducting a business or undertaking". It is the business itself, whether a company, sole trader or partnership, and it holds the primary duty of care under section 36. The term is used in New Zealand under HSWA.
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