Major Hazard Facilities (MHFs) are locations such as oil refineries, chemical plants and large fuel and chemical storage sites where large quantities of hazardous materials are stored, handled or processed.
MHFs are one of seven priority hazard areas for which the Safe Work Australia maintains advisory national regulatory material. Safe Work Australia maintains a national standard and a national code of practice, both of which were declared by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) in 1996. The national standard was redeclared in 2002 following a review of Schedule 1.
National documents on MHFs
The national documents for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities comprise the:
Control of Major Hazard Facilities - National Standard [NOHSC:1014(2002)]; and National Code of Practice [NOHSC:2016 (1996)].
The objectives of these documents are to prevent major accidents and near misses and to minimise the effects of any major accidents and near misses resulting from the operation of a MHF.
Who to contact about the regulation of MHFs
Regulation of major hazard facilities is the responsibility of each jurisdiction. Enquiries on how the MHF Standard has been applied in your State or Territory legislation or regulations should be directed to the relevant jurisdictional authority.
Links to the various Australian jurisdiction’s authorities responsible for the regulation of MHFs, industry and unions, are provided below.
NSW Workcover Authority
NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources
Victorian Workcover Authority
WA Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
Safe Work SA
Queensland Department of Emergency Services
Workplace Standards Tasmania
Northern Territory Work Safe
ACT Workcover
ACCI
COMCARE
Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
ACTU
You may also make comment or seek further information on other NOHSC / ASCC / Safe Work Australia national documents and / or other information provided on this web site by directing your enquiries to Safe Work Australia through info@safeworkaustralia.gov.au
National consistency of MHF regulation
In May 2001, Workplace Relations Ministers Council (WRMC) endorsed five strategies (and three related actions) to achieve national consistency in MHF regulation and assigned responsibility for progressing these strategies to the NOHSC. The strategies are:
- facilitating a consistent regulatory framework in all jurisdictions (including reviewing and updating
- Schedule 1 of the National Standard on the Control of MHFs)
- facilitating the sharing of expertise among jurisdictions
- developing practical guidance and training material
- facilitating the mutual recognition of safety case assessments; and
- developing performance indicators to compare safety outcomes.
- The related actions are:
- consistency in who regulates MHFs
- monitoring implementation in each jurisdiction
- risk based cases for exemption
In 2005, a Major Hazard Facilities Working Group (MHF WG) was established under the auspices of the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities. The MHF WG comprises State, Territory and Australian government regulators, and meets 1-2 times each year to share information about MHF regulation and safety issues.
An analysis of national consistency of MHF requirements was undertaken in 2002 and is available at the following link: 
Analysis of MHF Guidance Material Key Differences Between States – at 13 February 2002
Annual Situation Reports
In April 2001, NOHSC approved a program for continuously improving national standards and related material for each of the seven priority areas in which national standards are maintained. Underpinning this program is regular reporting to identify innovation and monitor the efficacy of the national material. Reporting is expected to identify issues and potential improvements to be considered in future reviews of the standards. Annual Situation Reports are the primary means of reporting on each priority area. They:
- assess the status of adoption of national material by each jurisdiction;
- compare key components of the national material with standards maintained by comparable major overseas OHS agencies;
- document and analyse concerns identified by NOHSC / Safe Work Australia stakeholders;
- assess national and jurisdictional performance against agreed indicators, and assess the efficiency and effectiveness of declared priority standards;
- identify developments or emerging issues; and
- identify the status of all referenced material.
Annual Situation Reports for the Control of Major Hazard Facilities can be accessed using the links below:
2004 Annual Situation Report – Major Hazard Facilitites
2003 Annual Situation Report – Major Hazard Facilitites
2002 Annual Situation Report – Major Hazard Facilitites
Annual Situation Reports were not prepared in 2005 or 2006.
Australian jurisdiction’s MHF related sites
Some jurisdictions maintain their own websites and provide useful guidance material on MHFs. Links to the Victorian and Queensland websites are provided below.
Comcare MHF website
Queensland Department of Emergency Services MHF site, including link to guidance material
Worksafe Victoria MHF site, including link to Guidance Material
Western Australia DOCEP MHF page
Other useful Australian sites
Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority
Plastic and Chemicals Industries Association
Useful International sites
Major Accident Hazards Bureau (EU)
Major Accident Hazards Bureau – Major Accident Reporting Scheme (MARS)
Health and Safety Executive, Hazardous Installations Inspectorate (UK)
Institution of Chemical Engineers , Safety and Loss Prevention Subject Group (UK)
United States Chemical Safety and Hazards Investigation Board, Chemical Incident Reports Centre (US)
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (US)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Process Safety Management (US)
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development – Chemical Accidents