Handle with care: dangerous goods management
Overview
The activities associated with dangerous goods within Victoria present potential risks to the safety of the community, employees, private property, public infrastructure and the environment if they are not successfully managed and controlled. In this regard, a legislative framework has been established which comprises the Dangerous Goods Act 1985, its supporting regulations and regulations covering dangerous goods in port areas. The framework assigns prime responsibility for safety to individual dangerous goods operators and prescribes the minimum safety requirements those operators must meet. As administrators of the legislation, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and the Port of Melbourne Authority play key regulatory roles involving licensing certain premises and vehicles, inspection activities, investigation of incidents and prosecution.
Audit found that neither of the regulatory agencies had undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the risks involved in dangerous goods operations within their areas of jurisdiction. Audit is strongly of the view that until effective risk assessments are undertaken, neither agency will be in a position to substantiate whether the focus and level of its activities are appropriate to reduce risks to an acceptable level or whether available resources are used in the most effective manner. These factors, together with deficiencies in management information systems, the absence of clear objectives in some areas and a lack of performance measures, unfortunately prevented conclusive audit assessments of the performance of the agencies. However, the examinations did raise a number of questions regarding whether the current legislative framework and activities of regulatory agencies have been effective in minimising the risks associated with dangerous goods.