Duties for employees at a major hazard facility (MHF)
Information for operators and employers about the legal responsibilities of their employees working at a major hazard facility in Victoria.
The full legal definitions of the duties referred to in this guidance are contained in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) Part 5.2 Major hazard facilities.
You must read the legislation in addition to this guidance.
Background
Employers, including operators, at a major hazard facility are required to protect employees from any risks to health and safety created by their employment. At the same time, employees have a general duty relating to health and safety, as well as specific duties associated with MHFs.
Summary of employee duties
The OHS Regulations require employees at a major hazard facility to:
- follow prevention and risk control measures put in place by the operator
- follow emergency procedures where necessary
- immediately inform the operator of any circumstance that they think could lead to a major incident, and
- take corrective action where necessary and notify a supervisor of any action taken
Safety role for employees
Operators and/or employers must also develop a safety role for employees covering how employees will work with the employer to achieve safe operation.
The safety role includes procedures for employees to follow in assisting the operator to:
- identify major incident hazards and major incidents
- conduct or review a safety assessment
- adopt or review risk control measures
- establish and implement a safety management system