Risk Management

Purpose

RPD manages WHS risk on every job — finding the hazards, rating the risk, putting controls in place, and checking those controls hold as the work proceeds. This single procedure replaces RPD's earlier WHS Risk Management Policy and Procedure.

Risk is assessed before work starts and re-checked whenever the job changes: when site conditions shift, a hazard or incident is reported, a SWMS no longer matches the work in front of the team, or an audit finding or corrective action shows a control is not working.

Procedure

Field	Requirement
Applies when	RPD plans or performs remedial, painting, facade, waterproofing, demolition, breakout, access, plant, hazardous substance, live services, lead paint, silica, asbestos unexpected finds, manual handling, lone work or public/resident interface work.
Owner	Project Manager before work starts. Site Supervisor during the work. Workers and subcontractors must follow controls and report hazards.
Before work starts	Complete the project risk assessment, review scope, site conditions, legal/client requirements, design risks, access, services, hazardous materials, public/resident interface, plant, competence and SWMS requirements.
Minimum controls	Identify hazards, assess risk, apply the hierarchy of controls, prepare or review SWMS for high-risk construction work, brief workers, record required permits, confirm competencies and monitor controls.
Hold point	Do not start or continue work where the SWMS does not match the task, controls are missing, design risk is unresolved, required permits are not approved, services are not identified, or hazardous materials are suspected and not assessed.
Breadcrumb function	Project Risk Assessment, Hazard Reports, SWMS review/approval, permits, site alerts, toolbox talks, inspection actions and corrective-action task tracking.
Stop / escalate	Stop work and escalate to the Site Supervisor or Project Manager when conditions change, a high-risk hazard is uncontrolled, a worker raises a serious concern, a notifiable incident occurs, or corrective actions are overdue. Formal findings, repeat issues and non-conformances are escalated into PIMS.

Risk Assessment Model

RPD rates each hazard against the model below, which sets how much planning and control a task needs before it can go ahead.

Step	Action	Output
1. Identify the hazard	Look for anything that can harm workers, subcontractors, residents, visitors or the public.	Hazard recorded in the project risk assessment, SWMS, inspection, hazard report or Site Alert.
2. Assess the risk	Consider what could happen, who could be harmed, how serious the harm could be and how likely it is.	Risk level and priority for action.
3. Select controls	Apply the hierarchy of controls and choose controls that match the task and site conditions.	Controls documented in SWMS, permit, project risk assessment, toolbox talk or site instruction.
4. Implement controls	Put the controls in place before work starts and brief the people doing the work.	Workers understand the method, hold points and stop-work triggers.
5. Review controls	Check controls through supervision, inspections, hazard reports, incident reviews, worker feedback, audits and management review.	Controls are confirmed, changed or escalated.

Hierarchy of Controls

RPD applies the hierarchy of controls before relying on PPE.

Control level	RPD example
Eliminate	Avoid a task where possible, remove unnecessary work at height, isolate a hazardous area from the work scope or change sequencing to remove exposure.
Substitute	Use a lower-risk product, method, tool, access system or repair approach where it achieves the same outcome safely.
Engineer	Use scaffold, edge protection, mechanical ventilation, dust extraction, wet cutting, guarding, temporary support, isolation barriers or engineered anchors.
Isolate	Set exclusion zones, separate residents/public from the work area, isolate services, close access routes or physically separate incompatible tasks.
Administrative	Use SWMS, permits, toolbox talks, site alerts, signage, supervision, inspection checklists, training, rotation and sequencing controls.
PPE	Use task-specific PPE such as respirators, eye protection, gloves, hearing protection, fall-arrest equipment and protective clothing. PPE is the last line of control.

RPD High-Risk Work Controls

The manual keeps the high-risk controls short. The detailed, worker-facing guidance for each activity lives in RPD's high-risk construction work (HRCW) risk guides, which feed the quick guides, toolbox talks, worker cards and visual field references used on site.

Work area	Minimum risk controls
Work at height	Confirm access method, edge protection, scaffold/EWP suitability, anchor points, exclusion zones, rescue arrangements and weather limits before work starts.
Scaffolds, EWPs and ladders	Check competent erection/operation, inspection tags, ground conditions, exclusion zones, licences where required and task suitability.
Silica	Use wet methods or on-tool extraction, no dry cutting or dry sweeping, respiratory protection where required, exclusion zones, cleanup controls and worker briefing.
Lead paint	Identify likely lead paint, control dust and flakes, prevent ingestion/inhalation, use suitable PPE and hygiene controls, and manage waste.
Asbestos unexpected finds	Stop work, isolate the area, prevent disturbance, notify the Site Supervisor/Project Manager and arrange competent assessment before work continues.
Demolition and breakout	Confirm structural limits, services, dust, noise, falling objects, exclusion zones, waste handling, sequencing and temporary support needs.
Hazardous manual tasks	Plan lifts, reduce handling, use mechanical aids, team lifts, staged deliveries and task rotation where needed.
Live services and isolation	Identify services, obtain permits or isolations where required, lockout/tagout plant and services, and verify isolation before work starts.
Excavation or ground disturbance	Confirm underground services, ground conditions, access, spoil placement, edge protection and emergency arrangements.
Live traffic and public interface	Use traffic/pedestrian controls, barriers, signage, spotters where needed and resident/building communication.
Lone work	Avoid lone work for high-risk tasks. Where lone work is approved, confirm communication, check-in arrangements, emergency access and escalation triggers.
Plant and powered tools	Confirm plant suitability, pre-start checks, guarding, electrical safety, maintenance status, operator competence and exclusion zones.

Hazard Reporting

Workers, subcontractors and service providers must report hazards when they identify unsafe conditions, changed site conditions, missing controls, damaged equipment, unsafe behaviour or work that cannot be completed as described in the SWMS.

Hazards are recorded in Breadcrumb. The Site Supervisor assigns actions, confirms close-out and escalates unresolved or high-risk hazards to the Project Manager. Repeat hazards, serious hazards, overdue actions or non-conformances are escalated into PIMS.

Hazard Report forms and completed Hazard Reports are managed in Breadcrumb. Any appendix form is a reference only and does not replace the live Breadcrumb record.

Risk Register and Project Risk Assessment

The WHS Risk Register is retained in the appendix or nominated register location. It identifies common RPD hazards and expected controls.

Project Risk Assessments are managed in Breadcrumb. They must be completed before work starts and reviewed when:

Scope changes
Site conditions change
Design or sequencing changes
New hazards are identified
An incident, near miss or notifiable incident occurs
A SWMS is changed
An inspection, audit or PIMS finding requires review.

Records and Evidence

Record	System / location	Evidence required
WHS Risk Register	Appendix / nominated register location	Common RPD hazards, risk controls and review evidence.
Project Risk Assessment	Breadcrumb	Project hazards, risk assessment, controls, review dates and responsible person.
SWMS	Breadcrumb	SWMS review/approval, worker briefing, task controls and amendments.
Hazard Report	Breadcrumb	Hazard details, risk level, assigned actions, close-out and verification.
Permits	Breadcrumb / project file	Approved permit, conditions, hold points and close-out where required.
Site inspections	Breadcrumb / PIMS where audit-related	Findings, corrective actions, responsible person and close-out evidence.
Formal findings and non-conformances	PIMS	Root cause, corrective action, due date, close-out and effectiveness check where required.

Quick Guide

Step	What RPD checks
1. Know the work	Check the scope, location, client requirements, design risks, access, services, materials and who may be affected.
2. Identify hazards	Look for hazards before work starts and as conditions change. Record them in Breadcrumb.
3. Assess the risk	Decide what could happen, how serious it could be and how urgently controls are needed.
4. Use the hierarchy	Eliminate risk where possible. If not, use substitution, engineering, isolation, administrative controls and PPE.
5. Match the SWMS	Confirm the SWMS matches the actual task, site conditions and controls. Stop if it does not.
6. Brief the workers	Use site inductions, pre-starts, toolbox talks, permits and site alerts to explain the controls.
7. Monitor and review	Check controls through supervision, inspections, hazard reports, incident reviews, worker feedback and audits.
8. Escalate properly	Keep site-level actions in Breadcrumb. Escalate repeat, serious or overdue issues into PIMS.

RPD Risk Register

The WHS Risk Register identifies common RPD hazards across the remedial construction sequence, with the minimum-standard controls, responsible roles, SWMS and hold points, and the initial and residual risk scores. It is retained in the appendix or nominated register location.