Industry News
COVIDSafe information for Construction – Victoria
Construction sites are OPEN under COVIDSafe Requirements. Summary of Requirements: Businesses must have a CovidSafe Plan FOR EACH WORKSITE Solution: Download the Construction COVIDSafe Plan Template here Businesses must keep records of all workers and visitors to sites Solution: – Use manual record keeping – Use the free Government QR service – Use…
Read MoreTower crane audit reveals limited inspection knowledge among owners
Results are in from the latest WorkSafe WA inspection campaign for tower crane maintenance across both metropolitan and regional construction sites. The audit findings suggest that tower crane owners have a limited understanding of correct procedures for major inspections of the cranes. Most of the cranes were following the recommended inspection and maintenance schedules set…
Read MoreCompany fined for operating without high-risk work licence
A construction company has been fined $2,160 after a allowing a worker to operate an elevated working platform (EWP) without a high-risk work licence. SafeWork SA issued the company with an expiation after an inspector witnessed the operation of a mobile boom-type EWP and discovering that the operator did not hold the required licence. The…
Read MoreSA Construction leading the COVID recovery effort
As South Australia recovers from the challenges of COVID-19, it is the construction section leading the recovery effort. SA has put forward the highest job growth numbers within the country within the critical building and construction sector, with the creation of over 2,700 jobs since July this year. ABS job data up to the start…
Read MoreCompany fined $20k for failing to induct contractors
A Victorian aged-care provider was recently convicted and fined $20,000 for failing to properly induct sub-contracted workers. The company was charged with ‘failing to ensure people other than employees were not exposed to risks to their health and safety’. After an incident occurred leaving a resident in need of medical care, the subcontracted worker was…
Read MoreUpdates to respirable dust laws for WA and NSW
The WA and NSW governments have recently taken steps to further aid prevention of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure and other occupational dust diseases. Western Australia Western Australia have halved their workplace exposure standard for RCS to 0.05 mg/m3 over an 8-hour period. WA have also halved the exposure limit for respirable coal dust to…
Read MoreResults of SafeWork SA SWMS compliance audit
SafeWork SA have released a report following their 2020 Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) compliance audits. Construction workers after exposed to a wide variety of risks, and the construction industry frequently records high rates of injury and death among workers. As a result, the construction industry has been marked as a priority in the Australian…
Read More1300 construction jobs heading for SA
South Australia is set to receive a wave of construction jobs after the announcement of $1bn in infrastructure projects commencing in the next 6 months. Starting this month, the Marshall Government is set to bring 1,300 jobs to construction workers with two of the state’s biggest regional infrastructure projects – the Port Wakefield Overpass and…
Read More$466k in fines for company failing to provide safe plant
A Victorian road maintenance company has been fined the maximum penalty after the death of a driver in 2017. The company and its owner plead guilty under Victoria’s OHS Act to the charge of failing to provide and maintain safe plant. The company received a fine of $388,650 while the owner was fined $77,730, the…
Read MoreSecond wave of silica dust compliance audits
SafeWork SA has announced a second round of silica dust exposure audits from this October onwards. This follows the implementation of the new nationally agreed exposure limits and similar audits in 2019. SafeWork SA will be targeting the issues identified in last year’s audits and work with companies to ensure that the new exposure limit…
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