The Code is the first of its kind in Australia, and according to WA Employment Protection Minister John Bowler, it is aimed at assisting employers to identify and manage the risks of extended working hours.

The Code comes with accompanying risk management guidelines to allow workplaces to gauge their specific level of risk so control measures can be put in place.

Bowler says that while the long-awaited code (it follows the release of a draft in June last year, and was originally expected to be in place in mid-2005, after a review that was announced in May 2003) "goes a long way" to address the OHS issues associated with extended working hours, "we still need to look closely at the social impact of long working hours".

The Code is largely in line with proposals submitted to the WA Government in 2005 by the Working Hours Review Working Party, in which AMMA participated.

To view a copy of the Code and the Risk Management Guidelines, click here.