Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures
The Safe Work Australia model code of practice on safe design of structures: duties of designers and clients, designing out hazards across the structure's lifecycle (construction, use, maintenance, modification, demolition), consultation and information transfer, and integrating risk management into each design phase. Guidance, not law: once a jurisdiction approves it under WHS Act s 274 it is admissible evidence of what is reasonably practicable (s 275).
Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures is a compliance framework from Australia (model for the harmonised WHS jurisdictions: Commonwealth, NSW, Qld, SA, WA, Tas, ACT, NT; not Victoria) with 4 domains and 35 controls. The largest domains are Section 3: Integrating design and risk management – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures (13 controls), Section 1: Introduction, duty holders and risk management – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures (9 controls), Section 2: Key elements of safe design – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures (8 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.
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Framework Domains (4)
Section 1: Introduction, duty holders and risk management – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.1 | 1.1 Integrate control measures early in design so risks are eliminated or minimised across the structure's life |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.2a | 1.2 PCBUs and designers owe the primary and designer duties for structures |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.2b | 1.2 Know who counts as a designer, including those who alter or modify a design |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.2c | 1.2 Clients that commission construction work consult the designer and share site hazard information |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.2d | 1.2 Principal contractors plan and manage construction work to control risk |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.3 | 1.3 Judge what is reasonably practicable for the designer using the standards and knowledge of the time |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.4a | 1.4 Apply the risk management process to structure design |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.4b | 1.4 Work down the hierarchy of controls in design |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::1.4c | 1.4 Select controls with care for residual risk, interaction of hazards and consultation |
Section 2: Key elements of safe design – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::2.1 | 2.1 Consider the lifecycle: construction, use, maintenance, modification, demolition and disposal |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::2.2 | 2.2 Ensure designers have, or draw on, the knowledge and capability for safe design |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::2.3a | 2.3 Consult workers who will use the new or refurbished workplace |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::2.3b | 2.3 Consult, cooperate and coordinate between clients, designers and other duty holders |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::2.4a | 2.4 Transfer information on hazards and controls to later stages of the lifecycle |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::2.4b | 2.4 Include significant hazards and residual risks in the information the designer provides |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::2.4c | 2.4 Give the client a written safety report for unusual designs, and pass hazard information to the principal contractor |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::2.4d | 2.4 Consider a WHS file to carry design information through the structure's life |
Section 3: Integrating design and risk management – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.0 | 3 Integrate risk management into the design phases with client, designer and constructor collaboration |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.1a | 3.1 In pre-design, set the design and risk context, skills and roles |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.1b | 3.1 Clients prepare a project brief with safety requirements and give all relevant site information |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.1c | 3.1 Research hazards from laws, statistics, alerts, similar designs and workshops |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.2a | 3.2 Identify physical and psychosocial hazards early, systematically and beyond one or two people's experience |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.2b | 3.2 Design out hazardous manual tasks and meet other regulatory design duties |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.2c | 3.2 Use the preliminary hazard framework: siting, high consequence hazards, systems of work, environment and incident mitigation |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.3a | 3.3 In design development, work through options by the hierarchy, test and finalise with a safety report |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.3b | 3.3 Apply recognised standards and the NCC, and do not assume they control workplace risk |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.3c | 3.3 Assess design risks with fact-finding, testing assumptions, testing components and expert consultation |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.3d | 3.3 Allocate design process steps and keep construction-stage changes from raising risk |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.4a | 3.4 Review design controls during the design and involve those who will build and maintain |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::3.4b | 3.4 Evaluate safety in design after construction and feed lessons back |
Section 4: Design considerations across the lifecycle – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::4.1 | 4.1 Design for safe construction |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::4.2 | 4.2 Design to facilitate safe use, including controlling psychosocial and violence risks |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::4.3 | 4.3 Design for safe maintenance, cleaning and servicing |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::4.4 | 4.4 Redo the design process for modifications, with expert input |
| australia-model-code-of-practice-safe-design-of-structures::4.5 | 4.5 Design for safe demolition and dismantling and give the information demolishers need |
What is Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures and who does it apply to?
Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures is a compliance framework from Australia (model for the harmonised WHS jurisdictions: Commonwealth, NSW, Qld, SA, WA, Tas, ACT, NT; not Victoria) with 4 domains and 35 controls. The Safe Work Australia model code of practice on safe design of structures: duties of designers and clients, designing out hazards across the structure's lifecycle (construction, use, maintenance, modification, demolition), consultation and information transfer, and integrating risk management into each design phase. Guidance, not law: once a jurisdiction approves it under WHS Act s 274 it is admissible evidence of what is reasonably practicable (s 275). It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
What does Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures actually require?
Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures has 35 controls organised across 4 domains. The largest domains are Section 3: Integrating design and risk management – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures (13 controls), Section 1: Introduction, duty holders and risk management – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures (9 controls), Section 2: Key elements of safe design – Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures (8 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
If I already comply with another framework, how much of Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures do I already cover?
Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures does not currently have cross-framework mappings in our system. Check back as we continuously expand our mapping database.
How do I implement Australia Model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures?
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