Legislative and Duty-of-Care Responsibilities
Core concepts
Boiler operation sits within a work health and safety framework. Learn duty of care, primary duty, officer duty, worker duty, reasonably practicable, hierarchy of control, risk assessment, consultation, notification of incidents, licensing and competent person requirements.
Understand the Standard Boiler (BS) licence scope: what the holder may operate, supervision requirements, and the limits of the licence. Know record-keeping obligations, log book requirements, defect notification, emergency procedures, training and supervision and manufacturer's instructions.
Traps
- Believing the licence holder has no duty to report defects.
- Confusing the owner's duty with the operator's duty; both exist.
- Assuming consultation is optional.
- Ignoring the requirement to follow manufacturer's instructions and Australian/New Zealand Standards where applicable.
Worked rule of thumb
Apply the hierarchy of control: eliminate, substitute, engineer, administrate, then PPE. Use PPE only as the last line, never as the primary control for boiler hazards.