Assistance for head contractor builders applying for Housing Australia funding

Builders should apply for accreditation online using FSC Online. See the home page of FSC Online for information on how to register for an account.

Applicants for accreditation that have tendered for Housing Australia funding will be allocated a dedicated Federal Safety Officer (FSO) for the accreditation process. The FSO will undertake all required audits of the applicant’s WHSMS and on-site safety practices as well as being on hand to provide reassessments and closure of non-conformances with the Federal Safety Commissioner’s (FSC’s) Audit Criteria. In particular, FSOs can support applicants through:

• in-person/virtual debriefing following audits to ensure clarity on the nature of any identified gaps between an applicant’s WHSMS and the FSC’s Audit Criteria
• providing general examples on what steps other (unnamed) accredited builders have put in place to meet FSC Audit Criteria requirements
• directing applicants to relevant available resources (such as regulatory publications such as Codes of Practice, relevant Australian Standards or other industry guidance and tools )
• reviewing updates made to WHSMS and processes and confirming if the updates now meet the FSC’s Audit Criteria
• directing applicants to the OFSC for further assistance and information on accreditation.

FSOs can provide up to 40 hours of support to applicants as outlined above. The 40 hours is the time spent by the FSO to prepare, support the applicant and undertake follow-up administration. It does not include time spent at audits. This support is not a consulting service and FSOs are unable to advise on, or draft, WHSMS revisions. An overview of the process for gaining accreditation under the Scheme is provided at What is the accreditation process.

The fact sheets linked below provide additional details and further information on how to apply for and maintain accreditation, how the audit process works and helpful information on Safe Work Method Statements:

• Fact sheet – Federal Safety Officers – scope of assistance available to Housing Australia related Scheme applicants
• Fact Sheet - Contracting for Australian Government funded building work
• Fact Sheet - How to Get Accredited and Stay Accredited
• Fact Sheet - Corrective actions and the auditing process
• Fact Sheet - Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)