Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) and Specialty Technical Consultants (STC) Publish New Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Audit Protocol for Victoria, Australia

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Specialty Technical Publishers

Oct 31, 2017, 03:00 ET

VANCOUVER, B.C., Canada (PRWEB) October 31, 2017 -- Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) and Specialty Technical Consultants (STC) announce the availability of the newly updated International Audit Protocol Consortium (IAPC) EHS audit protocol for Victoria, Australia. Leading companies around the world use IAPC EHS audit protocols to understand the scope of their EHS regulatory obligations and rapidly collect, share, archive, and export audit findings in a cost effective manner. IAPC EHS audit protocols are now prepared by STC in partnership with STP and continue to focus on those national (plus, in some cases, regional or provincial) EHS requirements that have site-specific application for manufacturing operations. As a leading EHS management consulting firm with a global network of experienced EHS teaming partners, STC has indepth knowledge and technical expertise of local/regional EHS requirements.

STP and STC maintain leading-edge EHS audit protocols for more than 30 jurisdictions. The protocol documents are written in English and are available in MS Word, Adobe Acrobat and Excel formats, as well as through STP’s web-based portal or can be integrated into an existing company platform. Using the protocols’ custom templates and advanced functionality features, auditors can easily track audit findings and manage data over time to improve compliance, risk management and safety performance. In addition, STP’s formatting is compatible with leading risk management and sustainability platform providers.

Highlights of selected legislation covered in the newly updated protocol include:

  • The "Building Interim Regulations" 2017 took effect on 4 June 2017, replacing the "Building Regulations 2006" in substantially the same form. Minor amendments have been made to update references to legislation, planning schemes, government departments, the National Construction Code, and Australian Standards, and to reflect current drafting practice. The "Building Interim Regulations 2017" will expire on 3 June 2018.
  • The "Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulations 2017" revoked and replaced the "Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007" effective 18 June 2017. The new "OHS Regulations 2017" are mainly the same as the previous rules, but include some key amendments. Changes have been made to requirements for the management of asbestos-containing materials in workplaces, the removal of asbestos, and the licensing of asbestos removalists. The regulations also amend requirements for safe operation at major hazard facilities, training for persons engaged in construction work, licensing of persons engaged in high risk work, and procedures for the resolution of health and safety issues. In addition, the regulations affect the "Dangerous Goods Act 1985" by prohibiting the use of asbestos and providing for the protection of property from damage from use of dangerous goods at major hazard facilities.
  • The national "Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995" establish prohibitions on manufacturing or importing equipment charged with a CFC refrigerant or an HCFC refrigerant, but also provide exemptions from this prohibition for certain types of equipment. The regulations were amended to remove the exemptions that have expired, which are the following: the exemption for chillers charged with HCFC-123 expired on 31 December 2015 and the exemption for components for existing high static ducted split system air conditioners expired on 30 June 2016.
  • The national "Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Legislation Amendment Act 2017" amended the "Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989" effective 23 June 2017. This Act introduces a phase-down of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) imports from 1 January 2018 and will also enable Australia to meet the HFC phase-down obligations of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (starting 2019) should Australia decide to ratify the amendment. It also includes new efficiency measures, including streamlining of licensing provisions and reducing reporting frequency.
  • The 2016 version of the "National Construction Code Series Volume One - Building Code of Australia" has been issued. In 2016 the amendment cycle was changed so that the "National Construction Code (NCC)" now has a three-year amendment cycle. "NCC 2016" is valid and current until the introduction of "NCC 2019" in May of 2019.
  • The "Environment Protection (Scheduled Premises) Regulations 2017" replaced and revoked the "Environment Protection (Scheduled Premises and Exemptions) Regulations 2007" effective 25 June 2017. These Regulations define which types of premises in Victoria are “scheduled premises”; occupiers of these sites are required to obtain an EPA works approval and/or license, and/or provide a financial assurance. The new regulations make a number of revisions to the requirements for scheduled premises.
  • The "Terrorism (Community Protection) (Chemicals and Substances) Regulations 2006" were revoked and replaced by the "Terrorism (Community Protection) (Chemicals and Substances) Regulations 2016" on 21 June 2016. The objective of these regulations is to prescribe the chemicals and substances to which the mandatory reporting requirements in Part 4 of the "Terrorism (Community Protection) Act 2003" apply.
  • The "Dangerous Goods (HCDG) Regulations 2016" revoked and replaced the "Dangerous Goods (HCDG) Regulations 2005" on 26 July 2016. These standards regulate access to high consequence dangerous goods, provide for the management of risks arising out of security concerns associated with explosives and high consequence dangerous goods, and make amendments to the "Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Regulations 2011."
  • The "Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2017" replaced and revoked the "Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2007" effective 18 June 2017. The "Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2017", for the most part, replicate the "2007 Regulations" with some minor changes to ensure that these regulations are consistent with the plant part of the "Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017."

For more information on all International EHS audit protocols offered by STP and STC click here.

About Specialty Technical Publishers
Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) produces technical resource guides covering environmental, health & safety, transportation, accounting, business practices, standards and law, offering comprehensive guidance on key compliance and regulatory issues. STP is a division of Glacier Media Inc., a Canadian information communications company that provides primary and essential information in print, electronic and online media. Glacier’s Business and Professional Information Group publishes directories, technical manuals, research and development materials, medical education, electronic databases, investment information and specialty websites.

About Specialty Technical Consultants
Specialty Technical Consultants, Inc. (STC) is a specialized management consulting firm working to enhance environmental health and safety (EHS) performance. Through its consulting services, STC partners with clients to strengthen management systems' design and implementation, and identifies needs and implements solutions to meet business objectives. Services provided include: EHS compliance support; risk assessment; EHS auditing; corporate responsibility and sustainability; EHS management systems development and implementation; EHS regulatory information tools; and EHS training.

STC is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the Supplier Clearinghouse for the California Public Utilities Commission, and as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program.

Lorraine O'Donovan, Specialty Technical Publishers, http://www.stpub.com, +1 1-800-251-0381, [email protected]