2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

A Guide to Occupational Health & Safety and Risk Assessment

This guide contains important information pertaining to your obligations under Australian Occupational Health & Safety legislation

Topics Covered
The Organiser Your OH&S responsibilities Checklists Some Dos & Donts Risk Assessments & Common Risks Creating a Work Method Statement Staff Briefings Emergency Procedures Risk Assessment Template

Date Updated:- 12 February 2007

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Table of Contents
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The Organiser Your OH&S responsibilities Checklists Some Dos & Donts Risk Assessments & Common Risks Some Common Risks to Consider Creating a Work Method Statement Staff Briefings Risk Assessment Template

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2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

1. The Organiser
Aerospace Australia Limited has satisfied itself that the appointed Official Contractors and/or Suppliers are competent in the tasks required of them. Aerospace Australia Limited has received and checked the Risk Assessments and Safe Working Procedures for each Official Contractor and/or Supplier and is satisfied that they are suitable and sufficient for the 2007 Australian International Aerospace Exposition. Aerospace Australia Limited is committed to providing, maintaining and promoting, so far as is reasonably practicable, the highest standards of OH&S and welfare for the 2007 Australian International Aerospace Exposition.

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2. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!

If you are an Exhibitor or Chalet Holder at the 2007 Australian International Aerospace Exposition, regardless of the size or type of stand you have, this document applies to you. As an Exhibitor or Chalet Holder, if you employ or contract out work on your stand including your own employees, stand staff or stand building contractors you are deemed to be their employer. Under Australian Occupational Health and Safety legislation, you have the responsibility to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the Health, Safety and Welfare of all employees and other people not directly employed by you, who may be affected by your actions (or omissions) during the exhibitions tenancy. Exhibitors and their major stand contractors are responsible for all activities that occur on their stand during the entire Event (including build-up, the Event period and knockdown), as well as any actions or activities that could affect others not on their stand. Your company will almost certainly have a Health & Safety Policy to cover your usual work place. However, you may not be aware that you have a responsibility to extend this policy to cover temporary places of work (such as participation at exhibitions). Exhibition sites in particular will have hazards that are not present in your usual work place and as such your current documentation could be unsuitable.
2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

2. You Are responsible cont...

Your company may already employ somebody who is responsible for the Health, Safety and Welfare of you and your colleagues. You should brief this person on your participation in the exhibition now, as they will be able to help you produce the necessary documentation. If you are a small company without these resources, dont worry, nothing that you need to complete is complicated or difficult most of it is just common sense and this document will guide you through. Please ensure that you complete the OH&S Declaration Form (in the On-Line manual System) and submit it by the due date (23 Feb 2007). This form provides the Organiser with the contact details of the person you nominate to be responsible for OH&S on your stand or Chalet during the event. As such this person must be in attendance on each day of the Exposition. If you do need help however, or have a query, please do not hesitate to contact the 2007 Australian International Aerospace Exposition Operations team.

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3. Your Checklist
Taking the time to read this document now will save you time organizing both your participation at the 2007 Australian International Aerospace Exposition and any other exhibition you attend in future.
We have outlined below your main responsibilities under Occupational Health & Safety legislation.

Task
Appoint a competent person to be planning supervisor responsible for Occupational Health & Safety for the build up and breakdown periods. Also appoint an OH&S supervisor for the Event period (These two appointments can be the one person). These people should oversee every element of your participation, with a specific responsibility for managing OH&S, including the provision of proper information and instruction, training and supervision of all parties concerned throughout the exhibition Photocopy the Emergency Procedures attached and ensure that all your staff and contractors are given a copy. Read and understand the rules and regulations that are contained in the Exhibitor Manual Obtain a copy of your company OH&S policy. If you dont know where this is, start with the HR department. If you are employing contractors on your stand obtain copies of their OH&S Policy Statement, Risk Assessment and Job Safety Analysis documents (JSAs) or their Work Method Statements (Depending on which Country/State you are from, these documents provide the same basic information). Ask to see relevant supporting documents. Take up references, ask to see proof of previous work standards in short, satisfy yourself that your contractors are reliable and competent. You have a legal obligation to assess all significant risk and as such must produce a Risk Assessment and JSA or Work Method Statement for your activities on site. Further information and guidelines can be found further into this document. Draw up a move-in and move-out schedule. Make sure you have given your staff and contractors enough time to build your stand. Time constraints are no excuse for not adhering to safety standards Share the findings of your Risk Assessment with the people working with you on the stand, and also your contractors ensure that they are fully briefed on the risks and controls required and in particular ensure they are briefed on the hazards of the Halls during buildup. (See Item #5 of this document) Make sure you are properly insured for the Exhibition Cooperate with the Organiser and all appointed Security Staff Inform the Organiser and Security personnel as soon as possible if an accident, injury or property damage occur on site does occur on site.
2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

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3.1 Post Show

Review your findings after the show to discover areas that need attention, where accidents occurred and take appropriate action for the future.

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4. Some Dos and Donts

This is a list of some other important points you should consider. It is by no means a complete list, and is intended as a starting point only.

DO:
Take extra care during move-in and move-out as this is when accidents are most likely to occur. Make sure that your contractors are working safely and ensure they are trained and competent. If you see an unsafe work practice, report it to the Organiser or Security immediately. Working at height on ladders and scaffolding must be done in a controlled and safe manner. Use the Official Electrical Contractor for the Exhibition. If you have your own display lighting or illuminated or electrically operated display, you must comply with appropriate state legislation. Treat all cables as though they are alive. Ensure that operators are fully trained and properly certified on the equipment being used. Ensure that all rubbish and packing material from your stand is removed from the site. It must not be stored on or behind your stand during the Exposition. Make sure that any hazardous waste is disposed of properly. Please conduct the Organiser for advice. Provide adequate breaks for your staff and contractors. Keep aisle ways clear at all times for safety reasons. Make sure all electrical equipment and leads are in good repair, have been inspected and tagged.

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DONT:
Take children on site at any time. NO person under the age of sixteen is permitted on site during move-in, move-out or the Trade Sessions of the Event period. (Children are only allowed to attend the Public Sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday Use flammable materials in your displays. This includes plastic flowers, polystyrene etc. Some combustible materials may be acceptable if treated with the correct fire retardant materials. Have overloaded or insecure displays. Make sure your displays are safe and secure as visitors can knock them. Overload trolleys. Not only can this damage your exhibits, but will make it difficult to move through crowded aisles and may cause injury to you and other people.

2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

5. Risk Assessments and Common Risks

A Risk Assessment is widely recognised as the most effective way of documenting, assessing and controlling risks and under the Occupational Health and Safety legislation is an absolute legal requirement. Completing a Risk Assessment does not mean that you are guaranteeing that there will not be any accidents on your stand, simply by taking the time to think through your actions in advance and on an ongoing basis, you will be able to reduce the risk of an accident happening or the severity of the accident if it does. Legally, if you were unfortunate enough to have an accident on your stand, you may need to prove that you took all reasonable steps to prevent the accident from happening; A risk assessment would be part of this proof. If you were not able to do this you could be found liable (both personally and corporately) for the accident. If you are using a stand contractor to build your stand, you should ask them to provide you with a risk assessment, so that as their employer, you can satisfy yourself that they are taking all necessary precautions to minimize any risks. For example: Your staff may unload items from a vehicle to the stand and could sustain a manual handling injury in doing so. This could damage their health, but could also put them off work for some time, having repercussions on your business. In addition if you are not able to show, through risk assessment, that you have assessed and minimized the risk, then you could be held liable. A common risk such as this can easily be controlled through proper instruction and procedures for handling goods and documenting this in a risk assessment will not only reduce the risk of it occurring but will help protect you against legal action.

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Even if your stand contractor is producing a Risk Assessment for the buildup and breakdown of your stand, it is still important to consider the risks during the open (Event) periods. Are any new hazards present as a result of the way you are operating your stand? For example: the demonstration of exhibit machinery would not be covered in your stand builders risk assessment. Therefore you would have to assess this hazard. Risk Assessments are usually submitted in a standard table format. A blank template is included with this document as a possible option if you need a starting point. If you would like a version in Microsoft Word please email expo@amda.com.au.

2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

5.1 Some Common Risks to Consider

If you answer yes to any of these questions, a Risk Assessment will help you assess and minimize the risk.
General Good Practice (applicable to all stands) Will you create any rubbish during the build/exhibition? Is there anybody else going to the show from your company? Does the show have a non-smoking policy? Do you/any of your staff need to unload their vehicles at the show? Fire Risk and Electrical Safety Do any materials on your stand NOT comply with the Exhibition fire regulations? Are you employing your own electrical contractor to do any work on the stand? Are you bringing your own electrical equipment? Do you have any closed rooms on your stand? Could the travel distance from any point on your stand to the nearest aisle be more than 10m? Stand Dressing Do you intend to fix graphics or shelving to your stand? Do you intend to have artificial flowers on the stand? Complicated Stands or Complex Structures Are you building a double decker stand? Is your stand over 4m high? Does your stand have a platform/ raised area? Is the height over 600mm? Do you have a conference room for over 15 people on your stand? Construction Are you building a platform or raised floor on your stand? Does your stand include any steps or stairs? Will you require ladders or scaffolding towers to build your stand? Do you require forklifts or a crane to build your stand or unload materials? Will you use power tools to build your stand? Will you be rigging anything above your stand? Will you be using any toxic substances in the construction of your stand? Exhibitors Equipment, Exhibits & Stand Operation Do you have any display exhibits that require power? Do you have any Radioactive products, lasers, pyrotechnics or other dangerous exhibits on your stand? Do you have any exhibits, particularly machinery, which are intended to move or be demonstrated during the Exhibition? Are you catering for any staff/guests on your stand? Will you be demonstrating any incentive products such as Frisbees etc? Do you intend to have any entertainment on the stand (magicians, stilt walkers etc)? Does your stand contain a water feature?

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6. Creating a Work Method Statement

As the name implies, this is a document that outlines the process involved in building and dismantling your stand. A Work Method Statement is usually only required for space only custom build stands, and should be provided by your stand contractor. However, if the nature of your activity is complex you will need to complete a Work Method Statement if you are bringing machinery or heavy exhibits, or using chemicals requiring Material Data sheets. A Work Method Statement helps to identify hazards and plan the build/breakdown to ensure everyone is working within a safe environment. By talking through the method of building the stand with your contractor, you may be able to identify some hazards and plan the build/dismantle to ensure everyone is working within a safe environment.

Responsible Person: Stand Details & Location: Access: Erection and Timetable: Stability:

The employee who will be responsible for the construction and breakdown of your stand and their contact details out of hours The dimensions, location, stand features Details of the entry point into the halls and the route to the final position, number of vehicles and timings etc The sequence and Schedule in which all the stand elements will be built, including alignment, electrical connections etc Methods of ensuring adequate structural support of any stand element that requires cross bracing, with calculations and inspection certificate from an independent structural engineer Outline the equipment used, their capacities, weight, locations and floor loadings Include details of temporary or mobile scaffolds, access towers and other work at height which you intend to carry out Any proposed use of hazardous and toxic substances must be advised to the Organiser and the Venue. Outline the protection provided for employees and workers on adjacent stands Consider any abnormal noise that may be present, or work that creates dust or fumes. What ventilation and other control measures will be provided? Note where electrical work will be carried out, welding, gases, compressed air, water or waste services will be brought onto site Provide the Organiser with any/all details on exhibits that may present a risk to the public and/or any operator

Lifting: Scaffolding: Hazardous Substances:

Environment:

Services: Exhibits:

2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

7. Staff Breifing
You may not think there are any risks in setting up a stand or manning it during the Exposition, especially if you are a shell scheme stand, but dont forget you are exposing your staff to an unfamiliar and hazardous environment and you have a duty of care for their health, safety and welfare. As the Organiser we work closely with the Airport owners and official contractors to provide a safe working environment, but with so many stands building up it is important that all people within the halls are aware of the risks. In particular you should ensure that your staff are briefed to take care in the halls and be aware of the following:
Done / Moving vehicles such as goods vehicles and fork lift trucks especially in and around Loading Dock and Loading Dock doors Slip, trip hazards on the floor, particularly plastic sheets and trailing cables, or stand fitting materials in the walkways, or cable duct openings in the floor Sharp objects and nails in wood on the floor (ensure appropriate footwear is worn no open toed sandals or shoes during build up or breakdown Falling objects always avoid areas where people are working overhead Locked exits not all exits will be open during build/breakdown usually for security reasons. The only fire exits open are those with signs illuminated. Make sure that your staff familiarise themselves with the nearest exits on arrival. Partially built structures which may be unstable Over exposure to noise levels which could be damaging to hearing Over exposure to the sun if spending time outside even the Autumn sun at Avalon can be extremely fierce Fumes/dust from machinery/decorating etc Environmental hazards e.g. freight doors (Loading Dock) open during the build and breakdown, rain making the floor slippery, wind catching items etc. Any other hazards presented by the stand, operation or environment Aircraft moving around the site Projections from aircraft wings Exposed Propeller blades

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A risk assessment template is contained in this pack, along with the list of questions in 3.1 to give you an idea of the kind of thing you need to consider. This list is not exhaustive but is a good starting point. It is a good idea to complete this risk assessment with your colleagues to help you think through every aspect of your participation and the risks involved.

2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

9. Exhibitor Risk Assessment Template

Event: Supporting Health and Safety Information completed/ obtained:

(attach to this document and bring onsite) (eg Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Policy, contractor risk assessments, Work Method Statements)

Venue:

Date RA Undertaken: RA Undertaken by: Stand OH&S Representative:

Signed: .
(person undertaking assessment)

Contractor OH&S Representative: Signed: .

(Contractor Company Director)

Distribution:

All staff working on stand OH&S Manager

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2007 Australian International Aerospace and Defence Exposition

PO Box 4095 Geelong VIC 3220 Australia Phone: Fax: E-mail: +61 3 5282 0500 +61 3 5282 4455 expo@amda.com.au