Public comments on draft construction code

Public comment on the draft of the national code of practice for the Safe Handling of Tilt-up Wall Panels and Concrete Elements in Building Construction has been received and posted on the ASCC website.

There has been a positive response from community groups and individuals to the Australian Safety and Compensation Council's (ASCC) Draft National Code for draft National Code of Practice for the Safe Handling of Tilt-up Wall Panels and Concrete Elements in Building Construction.

Chairman of the ASCC, Bill Scales said the responses had been positive and that this was the first time submissions received by the ASCC have been made widely available to the public.

"Tilt-up and pre-cast concrete construction is an increasingly common method used in the building industry. Discrete concrete elements are cast and then erected and incorporated into a structure by lifting them by crane into their final position.

"Tragically, there have been a number of incidents in recent years where people have been severely injured or have died as a result of being crushed by panels which have collapsed or have fallen."

The code has been designed to provide guidance to those working in this type of construction and is meant to assist employers to put practical and cost-effective measures in place to prevent injuries and deaths.

It is a result of collaboration between the ASCC, representatives of the construction industry, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Australian state and territory governments.

"Sixteen submissions were received from a range of stakeholders - individuals, small and big business, industry associations, unions, as well as Australian government agencies and state and territory governments. Of these, nine submitters agreed to publish their submissions on the ASCC website," said Scales.

"A preliminary analysis of comments has revealed a number of issues that must be considered, including clarifying the scope of the code of practice and its relationship to other Australian Standards; developing greater clarity around the obligations of duty holders, especially for designers and persons with control; ensuring clarity in definitions in the code; and ensuring that the final document meets industry needs and is easy to use."

The ASCC will revise the draft code over the next few months, taking into account the comments received. A final version is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.