Pro Train

Have a great day Luke!

Bruce was lucky enough this week to work with a great mix of new and experienced urban pest management technicians in Wellington. Thanks very much to you all for making Bruce feel so welcome and for putting your faith in our business. Thanks also the wonderful team at the Angus Hotel at Lower Hutt for hosting our training workshop and allowing us to take over their kitchen and facility.
You really cant beat face to face and hands on training.

Our office is closed Friday - have a good weekend.

WHS CODES OF PRACTICE CHANGES – WHAT PEST MANAGEMENT BUSINESSES NEED TO KNOW
Important Changes to WHS Laws

Recent amendments to Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation introduce a new legal status for approved Codes of Practice.

Under the changes, approved Codes of Practice become legally binding minimum standards. A Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must either:

✔ Comply with the applicable approved Code of Practice, or

✔ Demonstrate that an alternative system or process achieves an equivalent or higher level of health and safety.

Regulators may now place greater reliance on approved Codes of Practice when assessing compliance and determining whether enforcement action is appropriate.

What Is An Approved Code of Practice?

An approved Code of Practice is a document formally approved under WHS legislation by the relevant State, Territory or Commonwealth regulator.

Examples may include:

• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• First Aid in the Workplace
• Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work

Only codes formally approved under WHS legislation are affected by these changes.

What About AEPMA Codes of Practice?

This is where confusion may arise.

The AEPMA Industry Codes of Practice are highly respected industry guidance documents and remain valuable resources for pest management businesses.

However:

AEPMA Codes of Practice are not approved WHS Codes of Practice.

They are industry-developed guidance documents and are not approved under WHS legislation.

Examples include:

• AEPMA Industry Code of Best Practice – Rodent Management
• AEPMA Industry Code of Best Practice – Termite Management
• Other AEPMA guidance and technical documents

These documents continue to represent industry best practice but are not affected by the new WHS Code provisions.

What About Australian Standards?

Australian Standards such as:

• AS 3660 Series (Termite Management)
• AS 4349.3 (Timber Pest Inspections)

are also not WHS approved Codes of Practice.

They may still be referenced by legislation, contracts, insurance requirements, manufacturers or industry expectations, but they are separate from approved WHS Codes of Practice.

What Should Pest Management Businesses Do?

ProTrain recommends that businesses:

✔ Identify which approved WHS Codes of Practice apply to their operations.

✔ Review safety systems, procedures and Safe Work Method Statements against those codes.

✔ Document any alternative control measures where a different approach is used.

✔ Ensure workers understand how approved Codes of Practice relate to their daily activities.

Key Message

The new WHS provisions do not automatically make AEPMA Codes of Practice legally enforceable.

However, pest management businesses should understand the distinction between:

• Approved WHS Codes of Practice
• AEPMA Industry Codes of Practice
• Australian Standards
• General guidance material

Understanding these differences will assist businesses to remain compliant while continuing to apply recognised industry best practice.

This information is provided as general industry guidance. Businesses should refer to their jurisdiction's WHS regulator for advice on applicable approved Codes of Practice.

Another week on the road ,this time, North Queensland Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, doing some awesome Garrards Pty Ltd Roadshows and chatting with some awesome pesties. What a great week it's been, thanks to everybody for dropping into our stand and congratulations to those picking up one of our inspection kits. Thanks for your support.
And extremely lucky to catch up with the people that started Bernie's and mine journey in pest management, so very grateful to Debbie and Terry Daley.

Thankyou very much to all those New Zealand Pesties that called in to say Kia Ora at the Garrards NZ Ltd New Zealand Roadshows and congrats to the business card draw winners.
My presentation was aimed at "Getting your commercial on"
We are now working through the North Queensland Roadshows. These are such amazing events that wholeheartedly support our great pest industry.

Thanks for everything you do, Deb!

Time is running out to book your spot in our Townsville Urban Pest Management course.

Course Enrol – ProTrain Enrolling into Non Timber Pest Management Townsville A Face to Face classroom style training workshop held in Maroochydore carried out over 5 days followed by a practical assessment carried out in the workplacePLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING:We strongly recommend that persons enrolling in a ProTrain c...

Time is running out to book your spot on our next Townsville GP course. Great time to head north or east.

Wishing John a very happy birthday today. Hope your day is filled with love and laughter …and cake 🎂