building safety week 3 notes

WorkSafe's Construction Program

  • Overview of critical components within the construction industry related to safety.

Fatalities in Construction

  • Statistics highlight that construction work is a major hazard:
    • Almost 1/3 of all fatalities occur in construction.
    • Over 20% of employees are at risk of injury.
  • Common hazards include:
    • Falls
    • Electrical hazards
    • Working near traffic
    • Structural collapse

Priority Harms in Construction

Top Priority Harms:
  1. Falls from heights
    • Off equipment, scaffolding, ladders, voids, roofs
  2. Electrical issues
  3. Moving equipment
  4. Falling objects
  5. Structural collapse
Health Issues:
  • Crucial health harms include:
    • Exposure to crystalline silica (especially during tunneling and cutting)
    • Mental health concerns
    • Asbestos exposure
  • Notable incidents from 2012-2021 include various falls and electrical accidents.

Fatal Incident Examples

  • Dates, locations, and circumstances of notable fatal accidents:
    • 18/08/2020: Electrocution while working underneath a house.
    • 16/03/2021: Fall from a ladder when working at a residential site.
    • 22/03/2021: Apprentice electrocuted while performing maintenance.
    • 17/05/2021: Worker fatally struck by a falling concrete part.
    • Additional incidents highlighted include scenarios involving scaffolding and stairwell voids leading to deaths.

Legislation & Compliance

Relationship between Legislation and Guidance:
  • Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act) is the mandatory compliance standard.
  • Guidelines and compliance codes are created under the OHS Act to ensure safety.
  • Examples of guidelines include:
    • Compliance codes for prevention of falls in construction
    • WorkSafe Alerts
    • Australian Standards

Inspector’s Role in OHS

  • Inspectors have defined powers including:
    • Access to construction sites for inspection
    • Ability to issue improvement and prohibition notices
    • Authority to gather evidence (e.g., photographs, measurements)

General Responsibilities Under OHS Act

Employer Duties:
  1. Provide a safe working environment (Section 21).
  2. Ensure others are not exposed to risks arising from the workplace (Section 23).
  3. Self-employed duties include ensuring no risk exposure to others (Section 24).
  4. Employees must take reasonable care for self and others (Section 25).

Principal Contractors and Duty of Care

  • Definition of Principal Contractors: Owners or authorized agents responsible for site safety.
  • Responsibilities extend to all workers, including contractors and subcontractors.

Construction Regulations Overview

Key Regulations:
  • Encompass definitions and administrative measures to uphold safety standards.
  • Highlights the need for:
    • Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)
    • Site-specific inductions and health and safety coordination plans.
High Risk Construction Work:

Includes:

  • Work at heights exceeding 2 meters
  • Demolition and removal of hazardous materials (like asbestos)
  • Activities near powered machinery and utilities

Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)

  • A comprehensive document that:
    • Identifies high-risk activities
    • Details hazards and control measures
    • Is accessible and comprehensible to all workers.

Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace

Common Psychosocial Hazards:
  • Factors that negatively affect mental health:
    • Aggression, bullying, high job demands, poor support.
  • Potential outcomes from poor workplace psychosocial environments:
    • Increased interpersonal conflict, higher absenteeism, and lower retention rates.

Mitigation Measures

  • Recommendations to enhance safety:
    • Foster consultative mechanisms on-site.
    • Train employees adequately and prepare them for site-specific challenges.
    • Encourage speaking up about hazardous conditions to improve workplace safety culture.

Further Information

  • Resources available for ongoing support:
    • Subscribe to newsletters on safety updates.
    • WorkSafe Advisory services for emergency response.
    • Visit the WorkSafe website for comprehensive guidance and resources.