Privacy Policy
How METAS handles and protects your personal information.
Part C – Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how METAS handles personal information in connection with its Website, enquiries, clients, suppliers, projects and recruitment.
Privacy-law basis. METAS will comply with applicable privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme where they apply. METAS also adopts the handling commitments below as a matter of policy.
Your privacy rights
You may contact METAS to request access to, or correction of, your personal information.
19. Privacy scope and contact
Website content is general information only. It is not project-specific engineering advice, certification, a test result or a substitute for a Quote and professional assessment.
- METAS aims to keep Website information accurate but does not promise that it is complete, current, error-free or suitable for a particular purpose. METAS may correct or change content, services and indicative prices without notice.
- The Website is provided on an as-available basis. METAS does not guarantee uninterrupted or secure access and may conduct maintenance or respond to events outside its control.
- Links to third-party sites are provided for convenience. METAS does not control or endorse those sites and is not responsible for their content, security or privacy practices.
- The liability provisions in Part D apply to Website use, subject always to non-excludable rights.
20. Personal information collected and how it is collected
Depending on the relationship, METAS may collect:
- identity and contact details, job title, organisation and signature;
- enquiry, Quote, contract, purchase-order, billing and payment information;
- project, Site, Sample, chain-of-custody, safety, training and report-recipient information;
- professional qualifications, licences, employment and recruitment information;
- communications, complaints, feedback and records of interactions; and
- Website technical information such as IP address, browser, device, pages visited, referring page, cookies and analytics events.
METAS ordinarily collects personal information directly from the individual, the individual’s employer or representative, forms and correspondence, Site records, telephone or video calls, the Website, and the performance of the Supply.
METAS may also collect information from publicly available sources, referees, contractors, clients, laboratories, professional bodies, regulators and service providers where lawful.
If METAS receives unsolicited personal information, it will assess whether it could lawfully have collected it and will retain, de-identify or destroy it as required or permitted by law.
21. Purposes of collection, use and disclosure
METAS may collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to:
- respond to enquiries; prepare Quotes; form and administer contracts; deliver, invoice and improve the Supply;
- identify Samples, manage chain of custody, prepare Reports and communicate technical results;
- manage Site access, safety, quality, accreditation, certification and legal obligations;
- manage suppliers, contractors, insurance, risk, records, complaints, disputes and debt recovery;
- operate, secure, analyse and improve the Website and business systems;
- recruit and manage personnel; and
- send relevant service information or marketing where consent or law permits.
METAS may disclose personal information to personnel and related service providers; subcontract laboratories, inspectors, consultants and couriers; IT, cloud, website, communications, payment and accounting providers; professional advisers and insurers; clients or project stakeholders authorised to receive it; and regulators, courts, emergency services or law-enforcement bodies where lawful.
METAS may use or disclose information where reasonably necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat, investigate suspected unlawful activity, exercise legal rights or comply with a legal requirement.
METAS does not sell personal information.
22. Direct marketing, cookies and overseas processing
METAS may send existing or prospective business contacts information about relevant services, training or developments where permitted. A recipient may opt out at any time using an unsubscribe facility or by contacting METAS, and METAS will action the request within a reasonable time.
The Website may use essential cookies and, if enabled, analytics or preference cookies. Browser settings may block cookies, but parts of the Website may then not function as intended. Any non-essential cookie consent mechanism should match the tools actually deployed.
Some technology, cloud, email, analytics or specialist service providers may process or store information outside Australia. Where the Australian Privacy Principles apply, METAS will take reasonable steps required by law and, where practicable, identify likely countries in a collection notice or the current online version of this Policy.
23. Security, retention, access, correction and complaints
METAS will take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. No internet or storage system is completely secure.
METAS retains personal information only for as long as reasonably required for the purposes above, contractual and professional records, accreditation, insurance, tax, employment, limitation periods and other legal requirements, then destroys or de-identifies it where lawful and practicable.
An individual may request access to or correction of personal information held by METAS. METAS may need to verify identity and may refuse or limit access where law permits, giving reasons and available complaint options where required.
METAS does not generally charge for an access request but may charge a reasonable administrative amount where law permits, after advising the requester in advance.
A privacy complaint should describe the concern and relevant facts. METAS will acknowledge it, investigate reasonably and aim to provide a substantive response within 30 days, or explain if more time is reasonably required.
If the complainant is not satisfied and the Privacy Act applies, the complainant may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.
METAS will assess suspected data breaches and, where the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme applies, notify affected individuals and the Australian Information Commissioner when required.
METAS may update this Policy to reflect operational or legal changes. The current version and effective date should be published on the Website; material changes should apply prospectively unless law requires otherwise.
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Legal entity: METAS Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd
ABN / ACN: 18 677 546 708 / 677 546 708
