WorkSafe help for council planners

WorkSafe Victoria is developing a series of maps to provide better information to councils and planners about developments near Victoria’s Major Hazards Facilities (MHFs).

MHFs are specially licensed sites which contain hazards that can have the potential to cause major incidents in the event of a failure of safety systems. They can include oil refineries and chemical plants, some manufacturers and transport and warehouse operators. There are currently 39 licensed MHFs in Victoria.

WorkSafe licenses MHFs to ensure they have appropriate systems and practices in place to greatly reduce the potential for a major safety issue due to the presence of chemicals or other substances.

Over 30 advisory maps for specific MHFs will to be rolled out over the next year. When available, they will be provided to planners and be available on request from WorkSafe Victoria. They can be used alongside an online information sheet to inform planners about risks associated with MHFs in their areas.

WorkSafe believes this will help councils and planners to better assess development applications and better understand the MHF process.

MHFs must demonstrate to WorkSafe that they have the capacity to manage potential safety issues on their sites to prevent incidents that create health and safety risks.

This is done by establishing a detailed safety case which details the risks specific to the site and what is done to prevent incidents.