Australia Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace 3.5: 3.5 Have a competent person inspect, test and maintain plant (r 213)

A person with management or control of plant must ensure maintenance, inspection and where necessary testing are carried out by a competent person, in line with the manufacturer's recommendations, or the recommendations of a competent person if there are none, or for inspection where neither is reasonably practicable at least annually. Inspection should sit within a regular maintenance system that identifies problems not anticipated at design, deficiencies such as wear and corrosion, effects of changes in processes or materials, and inadequacies in controls, and should also review associated work processes for unsafe practices. Hand-held powered plant should be inspected and repaired or replaced, controls such as guards and warning devices should be inspected and tested, and an up-to-date register should list items needing inspection, the responsible persons, standards, frequency, critical safety instructions such as isolation, procedures for periodic, specific and post-repair inspection and variations or dangerous occurrences. Controls must protect the inspector, for example isolation, and guards removed must be correctly replaced.