Originally published by the Australian Institute of Health & Safety
With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, WHS regulators are urging site managers and workers to not rush or cut corners when it comes to meeting end of year deadlines and to safely secure their sites heading into the Christmas break.
Coming into the end of year, there can be a tendency on worksites around the state for employees to rush through jobs in an attempt to meet end of year deadlines, according to SafeWork NSW.
Two recent incidents demonstrate how important it is for workers to slow down and ensure workplace hazards are properly managed, the regulator said.
A 22-year-old concrete worker fell approximately two-metres into an unprotected excavation and landed on an unprotected reinforced steel bar which protruded his upper thigh and into his abdomen and hip. The worker required two operations that will require six months recovery and faces potential ongoing mobility issues with his leg.
A 54-year-old worker was painting on the first floor and fell from a ladder through an unprotected void to the ground floor. The man was taken to Royal North Shore hospital in a critical condition and later passed away.
The Christmas and New Year break is the longest shut down in the construction industry, and unsecured sites can pose a great risk to the community during the school holidays, so it is important that worksites have adequate fencing and gates are locked.
Before closing for the year, SafeWork NSW said site managers and workers should ensure:
- power is switched off to their site
- debris is cleared
- access is blocked to elevated floors, scaffolding, and ladders
- plant and equipment, tools, chemicals and dangerous goods are secured
- water drums are emptied
- appropriate signage is erected, including an after-hours contact number
- cover voids, pits, trenches and pier holes
- cap all exposed reinforcement bars.
“We want all our workers to make it to this break safely, so SafeWork is asking those working on construction sites across the state to continue upholding safe work practices despite the festive season approaching,” said Head of SafeWork NSW Trent Curtin.
“This is a time of year a lot of people in the construction sector look forward to and we don’t want it being dampened due to a serious incident caused by a construction site not being properly secured and shut down.
“We are urging all workers and site managers across the state to lock their sites up, shut down all plant and machinery and ensure hazards are covered to their best of ability, to minimise the chance of injuries on site during the holidays.”
SafeWork urged all site managers and workers to complete its site shutdown checklist, to make certain they are ready to leave their site unattended during the holidays.
WorkSafe ACT also urged businesses in the building and construction sectors to take extra care leading up to the end of year.
It recently conducted inspections at residential construction sites in Whitlam as part of Operation Safe Prospect, which was launched in August 2020 in response to two workplace fatalities on construction sites in Denman prospect.
WorkSafe ACT inspectors visited 29 sites, with a focus on identified repeat offenders, and they issued 24 improvement notices, 24 prohibition notices and 4 infringement notices.
Among these were a number of serious breaches in relation to the risk of falls from heights, resulting in 8 prohibition notices being issued.
“It is frustrating and concerning that we are continuing to see so many serious breaches, particularly in relation to falls from heights,” said ACT Work Health and Safety Commissioner Jacqueline Agius.
Despite repeated engagement with WorkSafe ACT inspectors and being recently put on notice by the Commissioner, she said the majority of the notices issued were against identified repeat offenders.
“We will be investigating these breaches by repeat offenders and where appropriate, we will be pursuing prosecutions. These businesses have been warned and continue to flout safety requirements to the absolute detriment of their workers,” said Agius.
This time of year can come with enormous pressure as many worksites, businesses and workers push to complete work before they break for the holidays, and Agius urged everyone to be patient, understanding and realistic in December.
“We should all take a step back and consider the priorities. We want everyone to spend the holiday season with their loved ones. No one should die for a deadline,” said Agius.
