FOR the third time in just over a month WorkSafe ACT has issued fines at an undeveloped residential construction site after discovering “alarming” safety breaches. 

Last Wednesday (November 4), WorkSafe ACT inspected 18 residential construction sites in Throsby, and has now issued 12 prohibition notices, which mostly relate to unsafe scaffolding, 42 improvement notices, and four infringement notices worth more than $11,000, which relate to unsafe electrical and risk of falls.

The notices come after WorkSafe ACT issued 23 improvement notices, four prohibition notices and four infringement notices, worth more than $11,000, at a residential construction site in Taylor in mid October, as well as 10 improvement notices and one prohibition notice at residential construction sites in Ginninderry in early October.

Alarmed by the lack of work health and safety compliance on residential constructions sites in greenfield suburbs, work health and safety commissioner Jacqueline Agius says the safety culture in the ACT needs to improve so workers in this industry can go home safely at the end of their shift.

“We continue to see the same issues on construction sites, such as scaffolding safety and risk of falls from heights, poor site security, a lack of signage, electrical hazards, poor housekeeping, and a lack of basic facilities (like toilets) for workers,” she says.