Occupational Health and Safety Maritime Inspectorate

The legislation the inspectorate operates under:

Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993

Provides an OHS regime to promote the occupational health and safety of persons employed in the maritime industry, and for related purposes, employed on prescribed vessels and offshore industry mobile units that are engaged in trade or commerce within a Territory, interstate or overseas.

Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry)(National Standards) Regulations 2003

Sets out requirements under the OHS(MI) Act and includes:

Hazardous Substances (including asbestos);

Manual Handling; and

Confined Spaces

Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Regulations 1995

Sets out requirements under the OHS(MI) Act and includes:

Elections for health and safety representatives;
Advice, investigations and inquiries; and
Notices and incident report

The Inspectorate:

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) performs the occupational health and safety Inspectorate function as provided in Section 82 of the OHS(MI) Act. The functions of the Inspectorate are:

to ensure, in accordance with the Act and regulations, that the obligations imposed by or under the OHS(MI) Act or the regulations are complied with;
to advise operators, employees or contractors, on occupational health and safety matters; and
to provide the Authority with information.

For OHS enquiries and information required during normal business hours, please call 1800 021 098 or email ohs@amsa.gov.au for assistance.

AMSA's role as the OH&S Inspectorate is to ensure the health and safety of seafarers on prescribed ships and units* under the OHS(MI) Act, including:

ships registered in Australia;
ships engaged in the coasting trade;
ships on which the majority of the crew are Australian residents and which are operated by persons or incorporated firms having their principal place of business, in Australia; and
ships declared under section 8A and 8AA of the Navigation Act 1912.

*A prescribed unit means an off-shore industry mobile unit that is not self propelled and is under tow.

Inspectors:

AMSA marine surveyors, who are trained in OHS, are appointed as inspectors under the OHS(MI) Act and perform a range of functions, including investigations of accidents and dangerous occurrences, issuing of prohibition and improvement notices and advising employers on their duty of care as well as on approaches to safety and effective injury prevention.