Australian Customs Service Annual Report 2000-01 >> Other information >> Occupational health & safety

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Occupational health and safety

Customs continued to evaluate and develop its national health and safety infrastructure in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 (OH&S Act).

The Customs Occupational Health and Safety Manual and associated guidelines were reviewed through extensive workplace consultative forums.

Customs hosted and continued to play a significant role with the Commonwealth Safety Managers Forum, which met bimonthly to address national rehabilitation, compensation and return to work issues. Customs was also represented in the Comcare Australia Employer Consultative Group and participated in a number of Comcare Australia working parties.

An internal review resulted in the restructuring of the cost centres for the national workplace. This will provide better alignment of information from Comcare and the Customs Human Resource Information System for analysis and performance monitoring.

The following guidelines were reviewed and updated:

border technology
occupational health and safety training
staff safety
eyesight testing
first aid
fumigants
thermal conditions.

Comcare premium

Customs pays a premium to Comcare for workers compensation insurance. The premium outcome for 2000-01 included a reduction in the premium rate for 2000-01 from 1.50 per cent (prescribed) to 1.13 per cent (revised).

The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission for Commonwealth employees sets indicators for agency performance. The performance of Customs during 2000-01 is outlined in figure 30.

Figure 30: Rehabilitation performance measures for 2000-01


Performance measure	Target	Actual

Incidence of injuries resulting in 5 days incapacity	less than or equal to 11 per 1000 employees	15.85 per 1000 employees
Lost time injury (claims) frequency rate	less than or equal to 11 per million hours worked	16.49 per million hours worked
Time taken from date of injury to date of receipt in Comcare of new claim	less than or equal to 71 days	38 days
Claimants with 10 or more days incapacity payments with a return to work plan	greater than or equal to 55%	68%
Quality of return to work outcome	greater than or equal to 75%	91%

Notifications under section 68 of the OH&S Act

There were 13 notifications under section 68 of the OH&S Act and appropriate remedial actions were taken by regional health and safety committees.

Directions under section 45 of the OH&S Act

There was one direction given relating to the disposal of a malfunctioning pyrotechnic during a remote area survival course in the Northern Territory, where a course instructor was injured. Interim procedures for the disposal of pyrotechnics were developed in conjunction with WorkHealth Northern Territory and will be finalised once a report on the incident has been completed.

Notifications under sections 30, 46 and 47 of the OH&S Act

One Provisional Improvement Notice was issued concerning the safety of staff working on board the MV Samson Explorer, a commercially contracted vessel used to transport illegal entrants. Customs is responsible for the maintenance of security of all persons other than crew while the vessel is so engaged.

A subsequent Improvement Notice required Customs to address the recommendations of an independent report that called for the issue of personal defence equipment.

The following measures were taken:

operating procedures for the vessel were revised
staff were trained in conflict management and use of force techniques
a ‘citadel’ or safe haven was established aboard the vessel
personal defence equipment was issued.

Planned/reactive investigations conducted

Comcare conducted two reactive investigations of Customs: one relating to the safety of staff embarked in vessels, the second involving work processes at a cargo examination facility. Customs addressed the issues and recommendations involving the embarked staff, and is awaiting a report on the cargo examination work processes.