Safety alert for dismantling formwork

WorkCover NSW has issued a safety alert for the erection and dismantling of formwork, following an incident on a construction site where a form worker was killed by a falling shutter.

Half of a steel column shutter, which was left on a poured concrete column while the other half was removed during the stripping operation, fell and struck the worker.

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 requires employers to identify hazards and assess and control risks at the workplace in consultation with their workers. It also requires employers to ensure that the risks associated with falling objects are controlled by providing a safe means of raising, securing or lowering plant, materials and debris that may present a risk.

Employers must ensure that:

• the dismantling of formwork is done in a safe manner that is planned and controlled in accordance with AS 3610 – 1995 Formwork for concrete;
• safe work methods are reviewed and amended regularly as conditions change;
• all persons involved in the work are provided with appropriate training and instruction, which also covers the safe work method statements;
• the risks associated with objects falling are identified and that appropriate controls are implemented and maintained; and
• all parts of formwork and false-work assemblies are stable and secure at all times during the forming and stripping operations, as well as during temporary storage on site.

For more information, visit the WorkCover NSW website.