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Major Hazard Facilities
Major Hazards Safety Team
The Major Hazards Safety Team oversees the implementation of the major hazards section of the Dangerous Goods Safety Management (DGSM) Act 2001.
Hazardous materials are essential to our everyday lives. To meet our needs, industries using and producing these products are a necessity in our community.
In the event of a major chemical accident, the harm to life, property and the environment can be devastating.
Major Hazard Facilities (MHFs) are locations such as oil refineries, chemical plants and large fuel and chemical storage sites where large quantities of hazardous materials are stored, handled or processed.
In recent years, accidents involving MHFs - in Australia and overseas - have resulted in numerous chemical disasters. Consequently governments, chemical industries and communities worldwide are determined to prevent further serious accidents.
The DGSM Act
The DGSM Act has been designed to protect people, property and the environment from chemical accidents. This will be achieved by applying safety obligations on everyone involved with the storage and handling of hazardous materials.
The DGSM Act regulates MHFs to minimise the likelihood of accidents at these sites and to minimise adverse impacts. This is achieved by assisting the operators of such facilities to meet their safety obligations, which include the provision of:
- a systematic risk assessment;
- emergency plans and procedures;
- a safety management system;
- a program of induction, information, education, supervision and training for all persons at the facility;
- information to, and opportunities for, consultation with the neighbouring community; and
- a safety report.
The satisfactory fulfillment of these obligations will be monitored and promoted by the Major Hazards Safety Team through a professional review and audit process.
Guidelines have also been prepared to provide information and assistance to occupiers to enable them to better understand and fulfil their obligations.
Click here to view the guidelines available for downloading.
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
In addition, the Major Hazards Safety Team provides a hazard identification risk assessment service for State and local government agencies involved with land use planning. For example, the service can advise whether the risks involved with siting a new or modified MHF comply with nationally recognised and established risk criteria.
This may be done by simulating the effects of accidents with hazardous materials using computer modelling. The information gained is then used to facilitate land use and planning decisions and may be used by the emergency services to develop realistic training exercises and emergency plans.
More commonly, it involves an independent audit of hazard and risk assessment studies submitted by industry to State and local government agencies, together with advice on the establishment and safe operation of hazardous industries.
Information, Advice and Assistance
The Major Hazards Safety Team also provides safety information, assistance and advice in the following areas:
- emergency planning;
- hazardous materials legislation;
- safety reports; and
- safety audits.
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