Telco

WHS considerations in EJV Telco Sites

WHS considerations

 

Under the relevant Work Health and Safety Acts for each State or Territory, both Optus and Vodafone as the site owners have a duty to provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe working environment for workers attending the site on behalf of the site owner, the other JV partner or any third parties required to attend the site. Any site-specific work health and safety (WH&S) risks are communicated to workers attending the site through:

• Optus: Site Data Records Database; and

• Vodafone: Site Access Protocol

Any site-specific work health and safety (WH&S) risks identified by workers attending the site are to be reported via the respective VHA or Optus WH&S Incident reporting portals. The contractor attending the site is responsible to log in / log out the site using the respective Optus / Vodafone site access protocols to confirm their presence on site. The Carrier who engaged the contractor to attend the site is responsible to ensure that the contractor has implemented the following safety controls (but not limited to)

• Project WH&S Management Plan;

 

• Safe Work Method Statements;

• Auditing and inspection procedures;

• Site protocols (inductions, sign-in, emergency management); and

• Meeting and toolbox talk schedules.

Optus and Vodafone have a responsibility to exercise due diligence in monitoring the safety performance of its vendors. Each operator also has reporting requirements, both internally and to their respective regulators), with regards to inspections, audits, incidents, near misses, hazards, etc.

Each operator must therefore refer to and adhere to their respective Contractor Management Systems, Corporate Policies and Procedures for guidance on the management of work health and safety aspects on the project. It should be noted that WH&S referred to above incorporates any safe work practices dealing with EME.

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