Giving consideration to occupational safety, health and environmental issues reduces the incidence of injury and illness resulting from poor ergonomic design, equipment failure, defective products or hazardous materials.
The suitability of plant and equipment, training of staff, site-specific hazards, and legislative requirements also need to be considered. The potential environmental impacts should also be considered prior to purchase.
Any potential environmental impacts should be accounted for as part of the purchase or acquisition process. Regardless of the purchasing method and financial approval requirements, safe purchasing must address the level of associated risk.
Services that are directly related to the supply of goods are to be considered in the same way as any other purchase. For example, the purchase of equipment requiring regular maintenance would be managed via initial equipment purchase followed by receipt of individual, periodic service invoices.
Signatory financial limits apply to the value of purchases.
Scope
Everyone who requests purchases must follow this procedure.
It applies to the purchase of personal protective equipment, office furniture, chemicals, biological materials, radioactive materials, machinery/plant and equipment. It does not address the use of contractors; this is managed under separate requirements.
