The draft Stevedoring Code of Practice being developed under the auspices of Safe Work Australia needs to meet the general principles of best practice design of regulation before it can be put in place, according to the Australian Logistics Council (ALC).
Responding to claims made recently by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) as part of its national rally, ALC managing director Michael Kilgariff said Australia’s major stevedores are committed to a Code of Practice that is performance and risk based and is in line with the Work Health and Safety legislative framework.
“ALC members recognise the benefits of establishing a Code of Practice that is workable, practical and one that enhances safety outcomes,” Mr Kilgariff said.
“There is no evidence that a highly prescriptive code will drive the safety outcomes being sought and ensure safety risks are as low as reasonably practicable.
“The previous draft Code failed to meet seven key principles set down by the Office of Best Practice Regulation for the design of regulations,” he added. These include ensuring the Code of Practice is:
? Not overly prescriptive;
? Accessible, transparent and accountable;
? Employs the minimum necessary to achieve objectives;
? Integrated and consistent with other laws;
? Mindful of the compliance burden imposed.
“ALC supports Codes of Practice, as evidenced by our development of the National Logistics Safety Code which is designed to drive safety outcomes across the supply chain,” Kilgariff continued. “The previous draft Code of Practice did not meet the general principles of best practice design of regulation and clearly requires further work,” he concluded.