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Canberra Today 11°/15° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Building sites blitzed in ‘disappointing’ safety check

IN a city-wide blitz of building sites, WorkSafe ACT has issued more than 70 notices exposing failure on worker safety compliance. 

ACT Work Safety commissioner Greg Jones.

 

And ACT Work Safety Commissioner Greg Jones is disappointed with what his inspectors discovered.

The agency’s focus on work health and safety compliance in the residential construction sector follows the death of a worker earlier this month.

Worksafe ACT Inspectors conducted 28 visits targeting residential building sites focusing on key safety risks and ensuring that builders and subcontractors were meeting their legislative compliance obligations.

 “The level of compliance with the safety laws was poor, with over 70 notices being issued for the 28 sites,” says the commissioner.

“Of the 70 notices issued, a total of 19 Prohibition Notices had been issued where there was an imminent safety risk to workers. In these cases, all work ceased immediately until the safety breaches were satisfactorily rectified.” 

Major issues included no protection to prevent falls from heights; scaffolding incomplete or incorrectly modified with no sign-off; electrical safety issues with damaged or faulty equipment and cables; poor site management with numerous slips, trips and fall hazards; and inadequate site security where there was no or inadequate fencing to prevent the public from entering the sites.

Mr Jones says the tragic death of a worker earlier this month should have provided a strong reminder that safety should be the number one priority.

“There seemed to be a general disregard for worker safety with basic protection systems not in place and little planning to ensure work was undertaken in a safe manner,” he says.

“WorkSafe inspections in this area will continue and inspectors will not hesitate to issue more notices, including closing sites that do not meet basic safety requirements.”

 

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