Registration of plant design or alteration to plant design - Application

In order to successfully register a plant design or alteration the following information will need to be provided in your application:

Screening information:

• If the plant is exclusively for use on a mine site;
  • if so, the Site Group (SG) number of the site where the plant will be used;
• If the plant is an original design or alteration of a design;
  • If an alteration:
    • The original design registration number,
    • The state or territory where the design was registered,
    • A copy of the original design registration document.
• If the design or alteration has been registered in another Australian state under a corresponding WHS law.

Plant design details

• The kind of plant,
• The plant type, and
• The plant description (see section 9 of explanatory note on the application form).

Applicant details:

• If the applicant is an individual or body corporate / company,
• If an individual:
  • The name of the applicant;
  • The business name (if applicable) and ABN;
  • The applicant's address, email and phone number;
  • Proof of identification documents, such as drivers licence or passport (does not need to be certified); and
  • If the applicant resides within Western Australia,
    • If not, a written justification as to why the registration should be granted.
• If a body corporate/ company:
  • The company name, as registered with ASIC and ACN number;
  • The designated contact person;
  • The business name (if applicable);
  • The registered company address (as registered with ASIC);
  • The contact person's email and phone number;
  • Proof of company registration, being the certificate of registration issue by the Australia Government Business Registration Service; and
  • If the body corporate/ company's registered address is located in Western Australia
    • if not, a written justification as to why the registration should be granted.

Statement by designer

• The designer of the plant must state that they have complied with the designers' obligations under section 22 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and followed the published technical standard and engineering principles.
• The designer must specify the published technical standards and engineering principles used in the design.
• The designer must sign the form and provide the required information.

Design verification statement

• The design verifier must state that the design detailed in the application was provided in accordance with published technical standards or engineering principles as specified in the designer's statement and the design verification documentation process has also met the requirements of Regulation 253 of the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022.
• The design verifier must sign the form and provided the requested information.
• The design verifier must provide evidence that they are a competent person pursuant to regulation 252 of the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022. 
  • Typically, this can be demonstrated by providing qualifications as an engineer in the relevant field and by demonstrating eligibility for membership in Engineers Australia by either producing an eligibility letter or a certificate of membership.
• The design verifier may not be involved in the production of the design they are verifying.

Representational drawings

• The drawing numbers of all design drawings used in the design of the plant. The drawings must also be provided.

Additional plant details:

• The 'additional plant details' field allows for plant type specific details to be provided. When completing an application, you will be required to consult section 4 of the explanatory notes and provide specific technical information relating to your design under the corresponding lines of the application. See the table below for the required information for each plant type.

Declaration

A Declaration by the applicant stating the following must be made:

• The design is not registered under a corresponding Work Health and Safety law;
• Consent for the regulator to make enquiries and exchange information with other jurisdictions; and
• The application for registration is being made under regulation 250 of the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022.

To qualify as a design verifier, a person must be a competent person in relation to plant. 

A competent person in relation to plant is someone who has acquired through training, qualification or experience the knowledge and skills to design the plant or verify the design of plant and who is eligible for professional engineering membership in Engineers Australia.

A person is not eligible to be a design verifier for a design if the person was involved in the production of the design.

For more information on design verifiers and to see the duties associated with being a design verifier please review WorkSafe WA's information sheet on the duties of a design verifier.

Designs for plant that are used on mine sites in Western Australia require registration with WorkSafe WA. This requirement came into effect in 2022 with the implementation of the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulation 2022. More information on the transition to the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2022 can be found on our dedicated webpage.

Should I register my plant design as general plant or mining?

The application process for mining plant designs and alterations is similar for general plant, with one key difference: As mine operators have paid the mines safety and inspection levy, the cost of registering designs exclusively used on a mine site is different.

Given the difference in cost, it is essential that applicants understand whether their design qualifies as mining plant. Plant designs only qualify as mining plant when they are exclusively used on a mine site and the applicant is a mine operator. Refer to the chart below for an illustration of when an applicant should indicate their plant is mining plant.