For small and medium-sized businesses, understanding the workplace health and safety requirements around tendering for projects can be intimidating, but it's also critical to winning tenders.

So what do you need to do to make sure you've got an edge?

CCIWA Safety and Risk Consultant Matt Butterworth explains that knowing the specifics of what different project operators required was key.  

“It is not necessarily a cookie-cutter approach – it would be very specific and very customised depending on the vendor, and the type of safety system demonstration that would be required,” he said.  

Understanding the health and safety risks involved in a particular project is the first step to developing a WHS plan, Butterworth explains.  

“Before a tender is submitted you need to understand the risk of the scope of work – that’s by understanding and reviewing the tender document,” he says.  

He said the extent OHS documentation required shifted in line with the levels of risk associated with a project. 

For high-risk contracts (i.e. construction work or work involving high-risk mobile plan), a supplier should:
• Provide evidence of their WHS management system.
• Develop and WHS management plan, including a risk assessment and safe work procedures.

For medium-risk contracts, suppliers should:
• Provide a WHS management plan, including a risk assessment and safe work procedures.

For low-risk contracts, suppliers should:
• Develop and provide to undertake a risk assessment and develop a safe work procedure before commencing work.
• For small, short-term, low-risk contracts, the only requirement may be compliance with WHS legislation.

Tailored WHS management plans can be obtained from CCIWA's consulting services.