Construction site safety blitz progressing well

WorkCover NSW has conducted 118 audits and issued 32 notices to construction companies across the state as part of its six-week work health and safety blitz of commercial sites across Sydney and hot spots in regional NSW.

WorkCover NSW Work Health and Safety Division General Manager John Watson said construction sites were constantly changing environments, which made them complex workplaces to monitor.

“Construction sites, by their very nature, are changeable workplaces. When an inspector visits a site on one day the site may well have changed substantially in a relative short period of time,” Watson said.

“Even though an inspector can visit a site and rate its equipment and systems satisfactory, this can change if equipment is moved or modified, removed from the site or be brought to a site. The site management safety plans need to take into account the changeable nature of the work environment.

“During these site visits inspectors are paying particular attention to site management safety plans, including emergency evacuation procedures, and high-risk activities such as crane operation, erection, dismantling and maintenance of scaffold and ‘hot’ work procedures.

“To date we have spoken with 324 employers (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking - PCBU), and issued 32 notices relating to identified work health and safety issues including electrical leads and power points, working at heights, demolition, return to work, emergency procedures and scaffolding.

“At the conclusion of the current construction site safety blitz, WorkCover will provide feedback to major contractors about the issues identified during the blitz and outline what action they need to take to ensure the ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of workers and the community.

“We will also be meeting with the Building Trades Group and various unions to talk about safety concerns that have been raised with WorkCover NSW.

“We may also choose to extend the blitz should we identify any negative trends in site management.”

The blitz is being conducted in addition to the ongoing compliance focus applied in WorkCover’s daily prevention and response activities.

The blitz is part of WorkCover’s High Risk Commercial Construction strategy and complements its other construction sector initiatives, including the Focus on Industry (FOI) Housing Construction Program launched in February 2014