Plant and design registration

Register a plant design or item of plant.

Applications to register a plant design or item of plant

The registration of items of plant and plant designs is an important part of Western Australia's Workplace Health and Safety regime. The requirement to register items of plant and plant designs serves to ensure that items of plant and plant designs have been inspected by a competent person and are safe to operate.

Item of plant and plant design differ. Design registration applies to a concept; any number of individual items can be manufactured to the same design. Item of plant registration applies to a specific item; each item of the specified type requires registration.

Registering items of plant: 

Certain types of plant require registration to be used in a workplace in Western Australia. This also includes items of plant located and used on a mine site. You can register your item of plant with WorkSafe WA by lodging a Form 201. Only specific types of plant require registration, for the specific types of plant requiring registration see the Items of plant and plant designs requiring registration section below. 

Registering a plant design or alteration of a design: 

Certain types of plant must have their designs registered prior to the item being registered or used in Western Australia. This includes designs intended for use on a mine site. You can register your plant design or register an alteration of an existing design with WorkSafe WA by lodging a Form 200. Only specific types of plant require design registration, for specifics on which plant designs require registration see the Items of plant and plant designs requiring registration section below. 

Changes to plant information and transfers of plant ownership: 

In Western Australia plant registrations are perpetual. Registrations will occasionally require information to be updated. It is the responsibility of the registration holder to inform WorkSafe WA of changes to their registered plant, this includes when an item of plant is sold or where the person with management or control of the item of plant has changed. Changes to information include:

  • Changes in registration holder, owner or person with management or control;
  • Relocation of a fixed item of plant;
  • Alteration to an extent or in a way which requires the plant to be subject to new control measures;
  • Amendments / updates to registration / company information; or
  • Minor corrections to fix incorrect information on a registration certificate.

To apply to change your plant's information or to read more about this process, please visit the changes to plant information page.

Replacing a plant registration document: 

Plant registration documents issued under a Western Australian Work Health and Safety, Mining Safety or Occupational Health and Safety law can be replaced by WorkSafe WA. It is the responsibility for the registration holder to notify WorkSafe WA of the loss of a registration document as soon as practicable. Only the registration holder may apply to replace a plant registration document. 

To apply to replace a lost, stolen or destroyed plant registration document, please visit the replacing plant registration document page.

Registration of an item of plant

Registration of plant design or alteration to plant design

Changes to plant information

Replacing plant registration document

Registering a item of plant on a mine site

Plant registration fees

Definitions

Below are definitions that relate to the registration of items plant and plant designs.

For additional definitions refer to Part 1.1 of the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (the WHS Regulations).

Alter:

in relation to plant, means to change the design of, add to or take away from the plant where the change may affect safety or health, but does not include routine maintenance, repairs or replacement.

Amusement device:

  • means plant operated for hire or reward that provides entertainment, sightseeing or amusement through movement of the equipment, or part of the equipment, or when passengers or other users travel or move on, around or along the equipment; but
  • does not include any of the following
  • a miniature train and railway system owned and operated by a model railway society, club or association;
  • a ride or device that is used as a form of transport and that is, in relation to its use for that purpose, regulated under another Act or an Act of the Commonwealth
  • a boat or flotation device that is solely propelled by a person who is in or on the boat or device; and that is
  • not attached to any mechanical elements or equipment outside the boat or device, and that does not rely on any artificial flow of water to move;
  • any plant specifically designed for a sporting, professional stunt, theatrical or acrobatic purpose or activity;
  • a device operated (with or without an operator) by a coin or token that is located in a shopping centre or similar public location and that is intended to be ridden, at any 1 time, by not more than 4 children below 10 years of age;

Boiler:

  1. means -
    1. a vessel, or an arrangement of vessels and interconnecting parts, in which steam or vapour is generated or in which water or other liquid is heated at a pressure above that of the atmosphere by the application of fire, the products of combustion, electrical power or similar high temperature means; and
    2. the superheaters, reheaters, economisers, boiler piping, supports, mountings, valves, gauges, fittings, controls, boiler setting and other equipment directly associated with those vessels;
  2. but does not include- 
    1. except in Schedules 3 and 4, a fully flooded or pressurised system where water or another liquid is heated to a temperature lower than the normal atmospheric boiling temperature of the liquid; or
    2. for the purposes of Parts 5.2 and 5.3 and in Schedules 3 and 4, a boiler designed or manufactured to the codes specified in the Table;

Table

1.AMBSC Part 1 — Australian Miniature Boiler Safety Committee Code for Copper Boilers
2.AMBSC Part 2 — Australian Miniature Boiler Safety Committee Code for Steel Boilers
3.AMBSC Part 3 — Australian Miniature Boiler Safety Committee Code for Sub-Miniature Boilers
4.AMBSC Part 4 — Australian Miniature Boiler Safety Committee Code for Duplex Steel Boilers; or

or (iii) in Schedules 3 and 4 — a heater or boiler specified in the Table;

Table

1.direct fired process heater
2.boiler with less than 500 kW output
3.unattended boiler certified in compliance with AS 2593:2004 (Boilers — Safety management and supervision systems)

Boom-type elevating work platform:

means a telescoping device, hinged device, or articulated device, or any combination of these, used to support a platform on which personnel, equipment and materials may be elevated;

NOTE: Boom-type elevating work platforms require registration of the plant design.

Bridge crane means a crane that:

  1. consists of a bridge beam or beams, that are mounted to end carriages at each end; and
  2. is capable of travelling along elevated runways; and
  3. has 1 or more hoisting mechanisms arranged to traverse across the bridge;

Building maintenance equipment:

  1. means a suspended platform and associated equipment, including a building maintenance unit or a swing stage, that incorporates permanently installed overhead supports to provide access to the faces of a building for maintenance; but
  2. does not include a suspended scaffold;

Building maintenance unit:

means a power operated suspended platform and associated equipment on a building specifically designed to provide permanent access to the faces of the building for maintenance;

Competent person:

  • for a major inspection of a mobile crane or a tower crane under regulation 235 — has the meaning given in regulation 235(1B); (
  • for inspection of amusement devices and passenger ropeways under regulation 241 — has the meaning given in regulation 241(1A);
  • for design verification under regulation 252 — a person who has the skills, qualifications, competence and experience to design the plant or verify the design;
    • educational or vocational qualifications in an engineering discipline that is relevant to the plant being inspected; or
    • knowledge of the technical standards relevant to the plant to be inspected;

Commissioning: in relation to plant, means performing the necessary adjustments, tests and inspections before the plant is used to ensure that the plant is in full working order in accordance with the requirements specified in the design of the plant, and includes recommissioning.

Concrete placing boom: means plant incorporating an articulating boom, capable of power operated slewing and luffing to place concrete by way of pumping through a pipeline attached to, or forming part of, the boom of the plant;

Crane:

  • means an appliance intended for raising or lowering a load and moving it horizontally; and
  • includes the supporting structure of the crane and its foundations; but
  • does not include any of the following —
    • an industrial lift truck;
    • earthmoving machinery;
    • an amusement device;
    • a tractor;
    • an industrial robot;
    • a conveyor;
    • building maintenance equipment;
    • a suspended scaffold;
    • a lift

Derrick crane: means a slewing strut-boom crane with its boom pivoted at the base of a mast that is —

  • guyed (guy-derrick) or held by backstays (stiff-legged derrick); and
  • capable of luffing under load;

Designer: in relation to plant, a substance or a structure, has the same meaning as it has in section 22 of the Act;

Design verifier: means a competent person who can undertake the tasks set out in 251;

Escalator: includes a moving ramp for use by passengers but does not include a conveyor used only for moving goods.

Gantry crane: means a crane that —

  • consists of a bridge beam or beams supported at 1 or both ends by legs mounted to end carriages; and
  • is capable of travelling on supporting surfaces or deck levels, whether fixed or not; and
  • has a crab with 1 or more hoisting units arranged to travel across the bridge;

NOTE: Gantry cranes with a safe working load greater than 5 tonnes, or which are designed to handle molten metal or dangerous goods require registration of the plant design.

Gas cylinder: means a rigid vessel —

  • that does not exceed 3 000 litres water capacity and is without openings or integral attachments on the shell other than at the ends; and
  • that is designed for the storage and transport of gas under pressure; and
  • that is covered by AS 2030.1:2009 (Gas cylinders — General requirements);

NOTE: Gas cylinders require registration of the plant design.

Hoist:

  • means an appliance intended for raising or lowering a load or people; and
  • includes an elevating work platform, a mast climbing work platform, personnel and materials hoist, scaffolding hoist and serial hoist; but
  • does not include a lift or building maintenance equipment;

NOTE: Hoists, other than elevating work platforms, that have a platform movement in excess of 2.4 metres and which are designed to lift people require registration of the plant design.

Heritage boiler: means a boiler that —

  • was manufactured before 1952; and
  • is used for a historical purpose or activity, including an activity that is ancillary to a historical activity;

Examples for this paragraph: 1. Historical activity: a historical display, parade, demonstration or re-enactment. 2. Activity ancillary to a historical activity: restoring, maintaining, modifying, servicing, repairing or housing a boiler used, or to be used, for a historical activity.

Inflatable device: (continuously blown) means an amusement device that is an inflatable device that relies on a continuous supply of air pressure to maintain its shape

Lift:

  • means plant that is, or is intended to be, permanently installed in or attached to a structure, in which people, goods or materials may be raised or lowered within a car or cage, or on a platform and the movement of which is restricted by a guide or guides; and
  • includes —
    • a chairlift and stairway lift; and
    • any supporting structure, machinery, equipment, gear, lift well, enclosures and entrances;

NOTE: Lifts require registration of the plant design and registration of the item of plant.

Manufacturer: in relation to plant, a substance or a structure, has meaning given in section 23(1) of the Act(link is external);

Mast climbing work platform: means a hoist with a working platform used for temporary purposes to raise personnel and materials to the working position by means of a drive system mounted on an extendable mast that may be tied to a structure; materials hoist means a hoist that —

  • consists of a car, bucket or platform cantilevered from, and travelling up and down outside, a face of the support of a structure; and
  • is used for hoisting things and substances but not persons;

NOTE: Mast climbing work platforms require registration of the plant design.

Mobile crane: means a crane capable of travelling over a supporting surface without the need for fixed runways and relying only on gravity for stability;

Non-slewing mobile crane:

  • means a mobile crane incorporating a boom or jib that cannot be slewed; and
  • includes —
    • an articulated mobile crane; or
    • a locomotive crane; but
    • does not include vehicle tow trucks;

Passenger ropeway:

  • means a powered ropeway used for transporting, in a horizontal or inclined plane, passengers moved by a carrier that is —
    • attached to or supported by a moving rope; or
    • attached to a moving rope but supported by a standing rope or other overhead structure; and
  • includes, in relation to the powered ropeway, the prime mover, any associated transmission machinery and any supporting structure and equipment; but
  • does not include any of the following —
    • a cog railway;
    • a cable car running on rails; a flying fox or similar device;
    • an elevating system for vehicles or boat style carriers associated with amusement devices;

Examples for this paragraph: An elevating system for a log ride or boat flume ride.

Person with management or control of plant at a workplace: means a person with management or control of fixtures, fittings or plant at a workplace as defined in section 21(1) of the Act;

person with management or control of a workplace has the meaning given in section 20(1) of the Act;

Plant: in Parts 5.2 and 5.3, includes a structure;

Platform height: in relation to an inflatable device (continuously blown), means the height of the highest part of the device designed to support persons using it (the platform), as measured from the surface supporting the device to the top surface of the platform when the device is inflated but unloaded;

Portal boom crane: means a boom crane or a jib crane that is mounted on a portal frame that, in turn, is supported on runways along which the crane travels;

Powered mobile plant: means plant that is provided with some form of self-propulsion that is ordinarily under the direct control of an operator;

Pressure equipment: means boilers, pressure vessels and pressure piping; pressure piping — (a) means an assembly of pipes, pipe fittings, valves and pipe accessories subject to internal or external pressure and used to contain or convey fluid or to transmit fluid pressure; and (b) includes distribution headers, bolting, gaskets, pipe supports and pressure containing accessories; but (c) does not include — (i) a boiler or pressure vessel; or (ii) piping to which another written law applies;

Pressure vessel:

  • means a vessel subject to internal or external pressure; and
  • includes —
    • interconnected parts and components, valves, gauges and other fittings up to the first point of connection to connecting piping; and
    • fired heaters; and
    • gas cylinders;
  • but
    • does not include a boiler or pressure piping;

Reach stacker: means a powered reach stacker that incorporates an attachment for lifting and lowering a shipping container;

Reciprocating steam engine:

  • means equipment that is driven by steam acting on a piston causing the piston to move; and
  • includes an expanding (steam) reciprocating engine;

Regulatory authority: means any Commonwealth, State or Territory authority, other than the Commissioner, with responsibility for plant safety.

Repair: in relation to plant, means to restore plant to an operating condition but does not include replacement, routine maintenance or alteration.

Scaffold: means a temporary structure specifically erected to support access or working platforms;

Self-erecting tower crane: means a crane —

(a) that is not disassembled into a tower element and a boom or jib element in the normal course of use; and

(b) where the erection and dismantling processes are an inherent part of the crane’s function;

Slewing mobile crane:

(a) means a mobile crane incorporating a boom or jib that can be slewed; but

(b) does not include any of the following when configured for crane operation — (i) a front- end loader; (ii) a backhoe; (iii) an excavator; (iv) other earth moving equipment;

Steam turbine: means equipment that is driven by steam acting on a turbine or rotor to cause a rotary motion;

Suspended scaffold: means a scaffold incorporating a suspended platform that is capable of being raised or lowered when in use;

Tower crane: means a crane that —

  • has a boom or a jib mounted on a tower structure; and
  • if a jib crane, is of a horizontal or luffing jib type; and
  • has a tower structure that is demountable or permanent;

but

  • does not include a self-erecting tower crane;

NOTE: Tower cranes require registration of the plant design and registration of the item of plant.

Vehicle hoist: means a device to hoist vehicles designed to provide access for under-chassis examination or service; vehicle loading crane means a crane mounted on a vehicle for the purpose of loading and unloading the vehicle

Work box: means a personnel carrying device, designed to be suspended from a crane, to provide a working area for a person elevated by and working from the device;

NOTE: Work boxes require registration of the plant design.

Competent person for plant

Who can be a competent person for plant?

A person can be a competent person for registration of plant under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulation 2022 if they have:

  • educational or vocational qualifications in an engineering discipline that is relevant to the plant being inspected; or
  • knowledge of the technical standards relevant to the plant to be inspected.

For further information on the duties of a competent person relating to plant, please see the Information Sheet: Duties of a competent person: Inspection and maintenance of plant.

Items of plant and plant designs which require registration

Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 - Schedule 5.

Schedule 5 — Registration of plant and plant designs

[r. 243 and 246]

Division 1 — Plant requiring registration of design

1.Items of plant requiring registration of design

(1)Pressure equipment, other than pressure piping, and categorised as hazard level A, B, C or D according to the criteria in Section 2.1 of AS 4343:2014 (Pressure equipment — Hazard levels).

(2)Gas cylinders covered by Section 1 of AS 2030.1:2009 (Gas cylinders — General requirements).

(3)Tower cranes including self‑erecting tower cranes.

(4)Lifts and escalators and moving walkways.

(5)Building maintenance units.

(6)Hoists with a platform movement exceeding 2.4 metres, designed to lift people.

(7)Work boxes designed to be suspended from cranes.

(8)Amusement devices classified by Section 2.1 of AS 3533.1:2009 (Amusement rides and devices — Design and construction), except devices specified in clause 2(2).

(8A)Passenger ropeways.

(9)Concrete placing booms.

(10)Prefabricated scaffolding.

(11)Boom‑type elevating work platforms.

(12)Gantry cranes with a safe working load greater than 5 tonnes or bridge cranes with a safe working load of greater than 10 tonnes, and any gantry crane or bridge crane which is designed to handle molten metal or dangerous goods.

(13)Vehicle hoists.

(14)Mast climbing work platforms.

(15)Mobile cranes with a rated capacity of greater than 10 tonnes.

2.Exceptions

(1)The items of plant listed in clause 1 do not include —

(a)a heritage boiler; or

(ab)any pressure equipment (other than a gas cylinder) excluded from the scope of AS/NZS 1200:2015 (Pressure equipment); or

Note for this paragraph:

See paragraph A3 of Appendix A to AS/NZS 1200:2015.

(b)a crane or hoist that is manually powered; or

(ba)a reach stacker; or

(c)an elevating work platform that is a scissor lift or a vertically moving platform; or

(d)a tow truck.

(2)The following devices are excluded from clause 1(8) —

(a)class 1 devices;

(b)playground devices;

(c)water slides where water facilitates patrons to slide easily, predominantly under gravity, along a static structure;

(d)wave generators where patrons do not come into contact with the parts of machinery used for generating water waves;

(e)inflatable devices, other than inflatable devices (continuously blown) with a platform height of 3 metres or more.

Division 2 — Items of plant requiring registration

3.Items of plant requiring registration

(1)Boilers categorised as hazard level A, B or C according to criteria in Section 2.1 of AS 4343:2014 (Pressure equipment — Hazard levels).

(2)Pressure vessels categorised as hazard level A, B or C according to the criteria in Section 2.1 of AS 4343:2014 (Pressure equipment — Hazard levels), except —

(a)gas cylinders; and

(b)LP Gas fuel vessels for automotive use; and

(c)serially produced vessels.

(3)Tower cranes including self‑erecting tower cranes.

(4)Lifts and escalators and moving walkways.

(5)Building maintenance units.

(6)Amusement devices classified by Section 2.1 of AS 3533.1:2009 (Amusement rides and devices — Design and construction), except devices specified in clause 4(2).

(7)Concrete placing booms.

(8)Mobile cranes with a rated capacity of greater than 10 tonnes.

4.Exceptions

(1)The items of plant listed in clause 3 do not include —

(a)any pressure equipment (other than a gas cylinder) excluded from the scope of AS/NZS 1200:2015 (Pressure equipment); or

Note for this paragraph:

See paragraph A3 of Appendix A to AS/NZS 1200:2015.

(b)a crane or hoist that is manually powered; or

(c)a reach stacker.

(2)The following devices are excluded from clause 3(6) —

(a)class 1 devices;

(b)playground devices;

(c)water slides where water facilitates patrons to slide easily, predominantly under gravity, along a static structure;

(d)wave generators where patrons do not come into contact with the parts of machinery used for generating water waves;

(e)inflatable devices, other than inflatable devices (continuously blown) with a platform height of 3 metres or more.

Items of plant and plant designs registered under previous regulations

Do items of plant and plant designs registered under the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 require re-registration under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulation 2022?

Items of plant and plant designs already registered with WorkSafe WA under the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 continue their registration under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022.

This means that items and designs that have been registered under the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations do not require re-registration or new documentation to prove they are registered.

Class exemption - Regulations 275 and 282

Item of Plant registration documents to be available - Exemptions 10 and 11 of 2024.

On occasion, circumstances may exist where a person in management or control of an item of plant is unable to get a copy of the registration document relating to that item of plant. These circumstances include where a registration document is lost, stolen or destroyed or where the previous person in management or control of an item of plant has ceased business operations.  

Exemptions 10 and 11 of 2024 provide for an exemption from compliance action, permitting the use of items of plant in situations where the registration document cannot be produced for an inspection. This exemption only applies if:

  • the original or updated registration document is unavailable due to the previous owner not being contactable or the registration document having been lost, stolen or destroyed; and
  • where the person in management or control has records to demonstrate that 
    • they are the person with management or control of that item of plant;
    • the item of plant has recently been inspected by a competent person and assess as safe to operate; and
    • records of the inspection are available for inspection by a WorkSafe inspector.

These exemptions are in place under 30 March 2026.

To review the exemptions please click on the relevant link below:

Class exemption - Regulation 246

Item of plant to be registered - for 30 day period - Exemptions 23 and 25 of 2023.

Exemption 23 and 25 of 2023 allows for items of plant to be used while awaiting registration. The Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 and Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 do not permit items of plant to be used while awaiting registration.

Under these exemptions, a person in management or control of an items of plant may use the item of plant after an application has been made, but before registration has been issued, subject to the following conditions:

  1. The plant must be assessed by a competent person as safe to use and commissioned prior to use in accordance with Regulation 266(2)(h) of the WHS Regulations.
  2. Records of the assessment by the competent person must be readily available for inspection by an inspector appointed under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
  3. An application for item of plant registration must be submitted to the regulator prior to use.
  4. The exemption is valid for a period of 30 days after the application for item of plant registration has been made to the regulator.

The exemptions also provide the authority for persons conducting a business or undertakings to commission plant specified in Schedule 5 Division 2 of the regulations when the application for item of plant registration is made.

The exemptions are in place until 30 March 2025.

To review the exemptions please click on the relevant link below:

Last updated:

Contact

Was this page useful?