Flinders University - WHS Record Keeping
WHS Records Keeping v2.1 (last reviewed 29/5/2024) Due January 2027 Page 1 of 6
WHS record keeping - general
(Local areas responsible for keeping these records)
Records
Examples
Retention period
Records relating to risk
assessment and management
of hazards (except particular
requirements listed below for
specific issues)
•
Hazard identification and risk assessments
7 years
•
Records of control measures
7 years
•
Regular hazard surveys
7 years
•
Workplace inspections
10 years
•
Event Safety checklists
7 years
•
Working from home checklists
7 years
WHS Committees and
Consultation
College/Portfolio Health and Safety Committee
agendas, minutes, reports
100 years
Records of WHS consultation/communication
with workers and other PCBUs
1
/shared duty
holders
7 years
Contractor Safety
Management
Contractor local area WHS Induction Records
including information about hazards/risks
30 years
Electrical equipment and
electrical installations
Electrical testing records for individual items
(including testing of RCDs)
10 years
Emergency management
Records relating to appointment of first aid
officers, wardens
7 years
Field trip health and safety
Field trip health and safety checklist and
subsequent risk assessment
7 years
Field trip health and safety acknowledgement
7 years
First aid
Record of minor first aid treatment given 10 years
Hazardous chemicals
•
carcinogens;
•
controlled substances
(poisons) under Reg 25
2
;
•
substances classified as
Extreme Risk in
ChemWatch
Hazardous chemicals (including dangerous
substances) register
Permanent
Register of Schedule 8 permits
Permanent
Hazardous chemicals training records
30 years
Hazardous chemicals risk assessments
100 years
Hazardous chemicals safe work method
statements/safe work procedures
(SWMSs/SWPs)
100 years
Waste transport certificate (WTC or equivalent)
100 years
Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) – Kept in Chemwatch
100 years
1
Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking
2
SA Controlled Substances [Poisons] Regulations 2011
Flinders University - WHS Record Keeping
WHS Records Keeping v2.1 (last reviewed 29/5/2024) Due January 2027 Page 2 of 6
Records
Examples
Retention period
Ionising Radiation Risk assessments, control measures, safe work
method statements/safe work procedures
(SWMS/SWPs), monitoring of work
environments, health monitoring
100 years
Contingency plans Permanent
Plant/equipment Record of plant (including lasers) that requires
registration, including records of all tests,
inspections, maintenance, commissioning,
decommissioning, dismantling and alterations
10 years after disposal
Record of p
lant decommissioning and dismantling
10 years after disposal
Plant Register 10 years from last entry
Plant safety integrity test records (for plant with
presence-sensing safeguarding system)
10 years after disposal
Inspection and testing records of biosafety
cabinets and other containment equipment
10 years
Risk assessments/
Safe Work Method
Statements/
Safe Work Procedures
Risk assessments/safe work method
statements/safe work procedures
(RAs/SWMS/SWPs) for hazardous chemicals as
defined above, radiation
100 years
Other RAs/SWMS/SWPs 7 years
Training
Staff training and induction records (except as
below)
30 years
Hazardous chemicals training records 30 years
Planning
College/Portfolio planned actions 10 years
Contractor safety
Contractor WHS Induction Records (for
contractors engaged by local areas)
5 years after action
completed
Volunteer Engagement (safety)
Volunteer Engagement forms 7 years
Flinders University - WHS Record Keeping
WHS Records Keeping v2.1 (last reviewed 29/5/2024) Due January 2027 Page 3 of 6
Specialised WHS records
(Area, as shown, responsible for record keeping)
Records Examples Area Responsible Retention period
Asbestos
Asbestos Register Property, Facilities and
Development
Permanent
Asbestos Management Plan 100 years
Health monitoring reports for a worker
carrying out asbestos work
45 years
Asbestos training records 30 years
Records relating to fit-
out/maintenance/repair of
properties/equipment/plant on
asbestos register
100 years
Plant Register in buildings containing
asbestos or other hazardous
substances
100 years
Records relating to management of
contracts relating to asbestos or other
hazardous materials removal and/or
remediation)
100 years
Audits
Official audit reports on compliance of
University programmes with WHS
legislation, standards (including
ReturntoWorkSA evaluations)
WHS Unit Permanent
Supplementary records relating to
WHS audits (e.g. arrangements for
inspection of workplaces and records)
WHS Unit 7 years
Confined spaces
Training records in relation to confined
spaces
Property, Facilities and
Development
30 years
Confined space risk assessment
100 years
Confined space entry permit
7 Years
Other high-risk work
(e.g. working at heights,
hot work, forklift
operation, pressure
equipment operation)
Training records in relation to other high-
risk work
Property, Facilities and
Development
30 years
Other high risk work risk assessment
7 years
Other high risk work permit
7 Years
University Health and
Safety Committee
University Health & Safety Committee
minutes, agendas, reports
WHS Unit Permanent
Health & Safety
Representatives
Nomination, election and resignation of
Health and Safety Representatives
WHS Unit
7 years
Representation on WHS Committees
7 years
Flinders University - WHS Record Keeping
WHS Records Keeping v2.1 (last reviewed 29/5/2024) Due January 2027 Page 4 of 6
Records Examples Area Responsible Retention period
First aid
First aid training records (summary
spreadsheets)
WHS Unit 45 years
Contractor safety
Contractor WHS Induction Records
Property, Facilities and
Development (for
contractors engaged
by PFD)
30 years
Contractor WHS evaluation checklists Property, Facilities and
Development
10 years
Contractor site observation checklists
7 Years
Work Permits (e.g. Hot Work,
Confined Spaces, Working at
Heights, Isolation of Services)
7 Years
High Risk
Construction Work
Safe Work Method Statements for
High-Risk Construction Work
Property, Facilities and
Development
7 Years
Where the University
is the principal
contractor
Written evidence that worker has
relevant high risk work licence
10 years
Records of information provided to
contractor(s) about WHS hazards/risks
30 years
WHS Management Plan for
construction project
10 years
Records of WHS
consultation/communication with
contractor
7 years
Electrical work
Risk assessment and Safe Work
Method Statement for electrical work
on energised electrical equipment
Property, Facilities and
Development
8 years
Emergency
management
Emergency Plan (including emergency
procedures)
Property, Facilities and
Development
Permanent
Records relating to repairs, renovations
or maintenance of properties made
necessary by major disasters (flood,
earthquake, fire, terrorism attack).
Permanent
Reports on fire safety equipment, safety
certification
7 years
Records relating to nomination,
appointment and resignation of
emergency wardens
7 years
Diving
Diver registration WHS Unit
30 years
Diver induction
30 years
Dive Coordinator induction
30 years
Certificate of medical fitness
100 years
Flinders University - WHS Record Keeping
WHS Records Keeping v2.1 (last reviewed 29/5/2024) Due January 2027 Page 5 of 6
Records Examples Area Responsible Retention period
Evidence of competence
•
Diving certification
•
Log book
30 years
Risk assessment relating to diving
work
7 years
Dive plan
7 years
Dive Safety Log
30 years
On-site dive risk assessment(s)
7 years
Dive briefing checklist
10 years
Pre-dive equipment checklist
10 years
Boating
Boating Safety Plan WHS Unit
(pre-April 2016 – local
areas)
7 years
Coxswain Register
30 years
Coxswain Safety Inductions 30 years
Incidents/accidents
Online incident/accident reports,
incident investigation (FlinSafe)
FlinSafe 45 years
Master summary records of accidents,
incidents.
FlinSafe Permanent
Reports of notifiable incidents to
SafeWorkSA and/or other regulator (e.g.
Office of the Technical Regulator,
Environmental Protection Authority)
WHS Unit Permanent
Injury Management
Injury report FlinSafe 45 years
Workers Compensation claim files WHS Unit 20 years after the
claim is finalised
Recovery and return to work case files
20 years after the
claim is finalised
Register of compensation claims
Permanent
Workers compensation insurance
policies
30 years
Health and Wellbeing
Records relating to development and
implementation of Employee
assistance
programs
WHS Unit 30 years
Health surveillance records WHS Unit 45 years
Routine health screening programs
(hearing testing, vaccinations)
WHS Unit 100 years
Ergonomics
Workstation assessments WHS Unit 8 years
Flinders University - WHS Record Keeping
WHS Records Keeping v2.1 (last reviewed 29/5/2024) Due January 2027 Page 6 of 6
Records Examples Area Responsible Retention period
Planning WHS Operational Plan WHS Unit
5 years after action
complete
Hazardous
chemicals
•
carcinogens;
•
controlled
substances
(poisons) under Reg
25
3
;
•
substances
classified as
Extreme Risk in
ChemWatch)
Prohibited and restricted carcinogens
permit
WHS Unit 100 years
Scheduled drugs and poisons
(controlled substances) permits
(except Schedule 8 kept by local area)
Record of each worker likely to be
exposed to the prohibited or restricted
carcinogen
Health monitoring records
Ionising Radiation
Radiation worker registration WHS Unit 100 years
Register of licenced premises, sources
and apparatus
100 years
Register of unsealed and sealed
radioactive substances
100 years
Ionising Radiation Management Plan 100 years
Purchases and disposals of unsealed
radioactive materials
100 years
Movements and locations of sealed
sources
100 years
Disposal of radioactive waste 100 years
Register of radiation incidents 100 years
Personal radiation exposure records for
each worker
100 years
Radiation worker medical examination
report
100 years
Plant
Inspection and testing records of fume
hoods
Property, Facilities and
Development
10 years
3
SA Controlled Substances [Poisons] Regulations 2011
