OHS guide for government procurement

The Australian Safety and Compensation Council has released the publication "Guidance on Occupational Health and Safety in Government Procurement', developed in consultation with Comcare and the Department of Finance and Administration.

As a major purchaser of goods and services, the Australian government is in a strong position to influence safety outcomes through its procurement arrangements. The publication provides advice and information on OHS and safe design considerations for all stages of the procurement process.

While aimed at government agencies for use in conjunction with the commonwealth procurement guidelines, the general principles contained in the publication are applicable to all tiers of government and industry. It contains practical checklists and tools to encourage governments and suppliers to incorporate OHS requirements into their procurement policies and practices.

The publication provides procurement managers with simple-to-use checklists, templates and models to ensure occupational health and safety is considered in each stage of the procurement cycle. It provides organisations with the information they need to build occupational health and safety into their everyday procurement processes.