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Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Major Hazard Facilities) Regulation 2008
Major hazard facilities (MHFs) are facilities such as oil refineries, chemical processing plants, large chemical and gas storage depots and large chemical warehouses that have dangerous goods in amounts that exceed specified threshold quantities.
WorkCover NSW has published the major hazards facilities regulation in the NSW Government Gazette on 4 July 2008. The Regulations will commence on 14 July 2008, but later commencement dates are specified in some clauses so that requirements are introduced in stages. The effect of the regulation is to add a new chapter (Chapter 6B) to the NSW Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 to reduce the risk of a major accident and to minimise the consequences in the event of a major accident.
The aim of Chapter 6B is to put in place measures to prevent major accidents at major hazard facilities, and to protect the health and safety of persons at work and the public from hazards leading to, or arising from, such major accidents.
Requirements for operators of MHFs include:
- Notification to WorkCover - this applies not only to MHFs, but also to other facilities that exceed 10% of the threshold quantities of dangerous materials that are set out in the regulation.
- Hazard identification and risk assessment specifically directed toward prevention of major accidents.
- Emergency plans and security plans.
- Provisional registration and (later) registration of MHFs.
- Preparation and submission to WorkCover of a safety report, demonstrating that the operator of the MHF is adequately managing safety and preventing major accidents.
WorkCover NSW has developed a Guide and a conditions document to support the new Regulation. Further information is available by contacting 13 10 50.
Notification
Operators of all major hazard facilities (MHFs) and potential MHFs that are operating on 13 October 2008 must notify WorkCover using the Notification Form FMHF01 no later than 12 January 2009.
This notification is required in addition to any Dangerous Goods notification.
After 13 October 2008, any person who intends to operate a MHF or a potential MHF must notify WorkCover within three months of the person forming the intention to operate that facility.
 Notification Form and Guide
New Fee Schedule for Major Hazard Facilities
 New Fee Schedule for MHFs
Publication No. 2047 (PDF format 103 Kb)
Major Hazard Facilities (MHF) Erratum notice - Government Gazette 24 April 2009
An erratum was published in the NSW Government Gazette on 24 April 2009 to amend the publication Occupational Heath and Safety Regulation 2001 Major Hazard Facilities - Conditions and Requirements of Provisional Registration and of Registration.
This erratum corrects the Conditions and Requirements document by replacing references to "Chapter 6B" in items A2.2(b) and A3.2(b) with references to "Chapter 6A". These items refer to the dangerous goods chapter of the OHS Regulation (Chapter 6A) in relation to provisional emergency arrangements and provisional security arrangements for MHFs.
The erratum notice was published under the heading 'Other Notices' on page 1814 of Gazette number 65.
NSW Government Gazette
Provisional emergency arrangements for major hazard facilities
This document provides a guide to operators of major hazard facilities (MHFs) on how to comply with their obligations under clauses 175P(1)(d) and 175P(1)(e) of the NSW Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001, which relate to the preparation and implementation of provisional emergency arrangements. For MHFs that were provisionally registered at 1 August 2009, this information should be provided to WorkCover's MHF Team by 31 December 2009.
 Provisional emergency arrangements for major hazard facilities: Guide
Publication No. 2246 (PDF format 174 Kb)
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