Working Away from Home Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to outline the process and procedures to protect Workers who are working away from home. 

Scope and Definitions

This policy is applicable to all P6 Projects Workers who are required to work away from home. The policy outlines the process, procedures, and responsibilities of P6 Projects Workers and Management. 

Definitions:

Award refers to the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020.

Apprentice means an employee hired under a contract of training.

Host means businesses who have a hosting arrangement with P6 Projects.

Maximum Hours means 12 hour shifts per day and a total of 156 hours in any 13 consecutive day period.  A two-hour travel time is allowed to and from work but must not exceed 14 hours where there is a shift duration of 12 hours. 

Manager/Management or Supervisor means a person who has, through a combination of training, education, and experience, acquired knowledge and skills enabling that person to perform correctly a specified task referred to in this document.

School-based apprentice means an employee hired under a contract of training who must attend school for a predetermined number of days per week to achieve the require SACE points to complete their Year 12 SACE.

Worker means a person who carries out work in any capacity for P6 Projects, including work as an employee, contractor or subcontractor, an employee of a contractor or subcontractor, a labour hire employee, an apprentice or trainee, a student gaining work experience or a volunteer.

Working Away from Home means where employees are required to work at a location away from the Company’s premises which is such a distance that they cannot reasonably be expected to return home at night.

Work Roster means a schedule indicating the days and hours a Worker is to report for duty.

Policy Statement

Process

Hosts must notify P6 Projects Management of their intention to schedule a P6 Projects Worker on a job/task/project where the Worker will be required to work away from home. Hosts must submit the following documentation to P6 Projects prior to job/task/project commencement which will be reviewed by P6 Projects Management:

  1. Working Away from Home Checklist

  2. Profiles/CVs of Supervisor(s) 

  3. Host policy/procedures for working away from home or similar

  4. Host policy/procedure for emergency response and preparedness specific to the project

  5. Incident report procedure

  6. Hazard report procedure

  7. Remote and Isolated Work procedure

  8. Copies of safety documentation relevant to the job/task/project (i.e. – JSA, JHA, SWMS, SOP)

Upon review, P6 Projects Management will notify the Host of the adequacy of the submitted documentation. If the submitted documentation is approved, P6 Projects Management will provide the Host representative, host supervisor and P6 Projects Worker with signed copies of the Working Away from Home Checklist.

Hazard and Risk Management

Restrictions

The following restrictions are in accordance with the award and are enforced to minimise the impact and likelihood of accidents, incidents and near misses to the P6 Projects Worker and impact on P6 Projects apprentice apprenticeship completion commitments:

  1. P6 Projects Workers under the age of 18 years old are unable to participate in jobs/tasks/projects where they will be required to work away from home.

  2. P6 Projects school-based apprentices are unable to participate in jobs/tasks/projects where they will be required to work away from home.

  3. Apprentices with more than 1 unit or 1 day (depending on which is greater) of trade school scheduled within the working away from home period will be unable to participate in jobs/tasks/projects where they will be required to work away from home.

    Responsibilities

Director

The Director is the officer responsible for ensuring that P6 Projects meets all legislative obligations in respect to this policy and ensuring employees are adequately trained to perform their work safely. 

P6 Projects Management 

P6 Projects Management are responsible for:

  1. ensuring that the completion and approval or otherwise of this policy and the Working Away from Home Checklist 

  2. covering emergency costs

  3. contacting host on-site supervisor no less than once per week

  4. conduct welfare checks on P6 Projects Worker no less than once per week

  5. ensuring a P6 Projects staff member is always on-call in case of emergency

  6. reviewing P6 Projects Worker timesheets to ensure that that the Maximum Hours are adhered to

    Workers

P6 Projects Workers will be responsible for:

  1. Complying with the principles of this policy and the Working Away from Home Checklist 

  2. Answer or return welfare calls to P6 Projects management

  3. Report immediately to P6 Projects management and/or host supervisor any hazards, risks, concerns, accidents, incidents or near misses

  4. Report as soon as possible but no longer than 24 hours any changes to conditions or changes to job/task/project to P6 Projects Management

  5. ensuring P6 Projects Performance Standards are adhered to

  6. ensuring that the P6 Projects Worker does not partake in any unlawful acts or acts of misconduct

    Site Supervisors/Managers

Host supervisors and managers are responsible for:

  1. ensuring that the principles of this policy and the Working Away from Home Checklist are adhered to in all activities

  2. answering or return calls to P6 Projects management no less than once per week

  3. Report immediately to P6 Projects management any hazards, risks, concerns, accidents, incidents or near misses

  4. Report as soon as possible but no longer than 24 hours any changes to conditions or changes to job/task/project to P6 Projects Management

  5. ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the P6 Projects worker at all times