Quality, Health, Safety & Environment (QHSE) Policy

1. Purpose and intent

Sets the commitment to protect people, prevent pollution, manage operational risk and improve the quality and reliability of activities. This policy is intended to provide a consistent reference for decisions, conduct and controls. It should be read alongside applicable laws, contractual obligations and relevant internal procedures. Where requirements differ, the applicable legal requirement and formally approved internal control take precedence.

2. Scope and application

This framework applies to employees, contractors, suppliers and other relevant parties undertaking work under the organisation’s direction or on its behalf, subject to applicable law and contractual requirements.

Business partners are expected to observe equivalent standards where these are relevant to the services they provide or the activities they undertake on the organisation’s behalf. Application should be proportionate to role, activity, risk and applicable legal requirements.

3. Core principles

• Prevention before reaction: identify hazards and environmental aspects before work begins.
• Safe systems: provide suitable instruction, supervision, equipment and controls.
• Consultation: encourage people to report hazards and participate in improving working conditions.
• Environmental care: prevent pollution and reduce avoidable waste and resource consumption.
• Learning: investigate incidents and non-conformities proportionately and address root causes.

4. Minimum standards and controls

The following controls describe the expected minimum approach. Specific procedures, approval limits, forms and technical controls may be established separately and updated through controlled internal documents.

• Assess task-specific hazards, environmental aspects and quality risks before work is authorised.
• Provide role-appropriate induction, training, supervision and personal protective equipment where required.
• Maintain equipment and work areas in a safe condition and stop work where there is imminent danger.
• Report incidents, near misses, unsafe conditions, spills and quality failures promptly.
• Investigate significant events, implement corrective actions and verify their effectiveness.
• Monitor relevant objectives, inspections, training, incidents and improvement actions.

5. Roles and accountability

Management must provide appropriate resources and ensure responsibilities are assigned. Supervisors must implement controls and verify safe execution. Every individual must follow instructions, use equipment correctly and report hazards or incidents.

Any person who is uncertain about the application of this policy should seek guidance before taking action. No individual may override a legal obligation or approved control without appropriate authority and documented justification.

6. Reporting and escalation

Concerns, suspected breaches, control weaknesses and incidents should be raised promptly through the relevant management or designated reporting channel. Urgent threats to health, safety, the environment or the security of information must be escalated immediately. Reports should be handled fairly, sensitively and in accordance with applicable privacy and records requirements.

7. Monitoring, assurance and review

Performance should be assessed through inspections, risk assessments, incident and near-miss trends, training records, compliance reviews and corrective-action closure. Objectives should be reviewed at planned intervals.

Where improvement actions are identified, they should be assigned to an accountable owner, given a proportionate target date and monitored to closure. Material changes in law, risk, organisational context or operating arrangements should trigger an earlier review.

8. Non-compliance

Failure to follow applicable requirements may result in corrective action, additional training, restricted authority, disciplinary measures, contractual remedies or referral to relevant authorities, depending on the circumstances and applicable law. Any response should be proportionate and follow fair process.

9. Related policies and standards

Risk Management; Environmental Responsibility; Quality & Continual Improvement; Contractor Management; Emergency Preparedness.

Additional policy requirements

The following provisions expand the practical expectations set out in this policy. They should be applied in conjunction with applicable law, approved internal procedures, contractual obligations and the circumstances of each activity.

Hazard and aspect identification

Activities should be assessed before commencement and when equipment, location, materials, personnel or work methods change. Assessments should identify hazards, environmental aspects, exposed persons, potential consequences and existing controls. Controls should follow a hierarchy that prioritises elimination and substitution before administrative measures and personal protective equipment.

Competence and safe systems of work

Persons performing tasks must receive instruction and supervision appropriate to the risks. Higher-risk activities should be governed by task-specific procedures, permits or documented authorisations where applicable. Personnel must stop and escalate work where conditions are unsafe or controls are absent.

Environmental protection

Operations should seek to prevent pollution, avoid uncontrolled releases, manage waste responsibly, conserve resources and comply with applicable environmental permits and requirements. Waste streams should be identified, segregated, stored, transported and transferred only through lawful and suitable arrangements.

Incident management

Injuries, near misses, unsafe conditions, environmental events, property damage and non-conformities should be reported promptly. Immediate actions should protect people and the environment, secure the scene and preserve relevant evidence. Investigations should identify underlying and contributing causes rather than focus only on individual error.

Emergency preparedness

Relevant locations and activities should maintain proportionate emergency arrangements, including contact routes, response responsibilities, evacuation or isolation measures and access to appropriate equipment. Plans should be communicated and tested at suitable intervals. Lessons from drills and actual events should be recorded.

Performance review

QHSE performance should be reviewed using suitable leading and lagging indicators, inspection findings, incidents, training status, legal compliance and corrective-action closure. Trends and recurring failures should inform preventive measures and management review.

10. Document governance

This web page is a public policy statement. The controlled internal version, where formally approved, is maintained through the organisation’s document-control process. Approval status, document owner, effective date, review cycle and revision history must be confirmed in the controlled document register before this text is represented as a formally issued internal policy.