Changes to NT work health and safety regulations

WorkSafe NT has announced that changes to the Northern Territory’s work health and safety regulations affecting the construction industry have come into effect as of 4 April 2016.

These amendments focused on reducing the regulatory burden faced by businesses and workers where the cost of compliance has increased without a corresponding increase in health and safety outcomes.

Three areas of the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations have been amended, which will:

• increase the construction project trigger point value to $500,000;
• make the regulator the sole issuer of construction induction cards in the Northern Territory; and
• allow licence and permit holders to notify matters to the regulator via phone, email, mail or in person.

Trigger point value

During the transitional phase to the new regulation, if the construction phase of a project commenced before 4 April, the previous trigger point value of $250,000 will still apply. The construction phase is considered to be when actual work commences after the design and planning phase, such as digging footings or pouring concrete.

Regulator to issue white cards

Previously, registered training organisations (RTOs) could issue white cards to workers on behalf of the regulator; however, under the new changes, only the regulator (NT WorkSafe) can issue white cards. This is intended to make the replacement of lost, stolen or damaged white cards a much simpler process as the records will now be held centrally. RTOs can still deliver general construction induction training.

Notifications

Holders of various authorisations are obliged to notify the regulator about a change of residential address for high risk work licence holders or the theft, loss or destruction of a licence, registration or accreditation document. Failing to comply with notification requirements can result in penalties. From 4 April, this no longer needs to be in the form of a written notice, but can be done over the phone or by email.

For more information, go to www.worksafe.nt.gov.au.