South Yarra construction sites found unsafe

A two-day WorkSafe Victoria campaign targeting construction sites in South Yarra has identified a large number of safety breaches.

Inspectors this week visited 16 unit developments and issued three Prohibition Notices for unsafe temporary electrical boards and power leads.

Seventeen Improvement Notices were issued for inadequate fall protection, unsafe formwork for concreting, electrical issues and safety plans.

The director of WorkSafe’s Construction and Utilities Division, Chris Webb, said the campaign was in response to a boom in construction activity in the area.

‘What we found was that while some sites had good practices on paper, they weren’t being applied on the ground. The safety failings in South Yarra were basic matters that are easy to resolve, but if left unattended can have deadly consequences,” he said.

"Principal contractors and sub-contractors have clear responsibilities, as do workers. If safe working practices are not in place and used, people’s lives are put at risk.”

Webb added that monitoring of the area would continue.