WorkCover NSW has today launched a safety program focusing on Sydney’s construction sites.
The new program comes as the city’s commercial construction industry enters the busy end-of-year holiday period.
Peter Dunphy, acting General Manager of WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division, said WorkCover’s safety program has been created as a result of a six-week crackdown of the construction industry in March this year.
“Major incidents in the commercial construction industry have the potential to not only cause serious injury and death but also bring the city to a standstill as we saw with the Barangaroo fire earlier this year,” Mr Dunphy said.
WorkCover visited 369 construction sites during March, resulting in 10 prohibition notices and 97 improvement notices.
June 2011 – July 2013 saw 1,800 construction workers contract a work-related injury or disease, which cost the NSW workers compensation scheme $33 million.
“During this program specialist construction industry work health and safety inspectors will visit construction sites to review safety systems and raise awareness of the five main causes of injury in the industry – falls from height, falls on the same level, being hit by moving objects, being hit by falling objects and electric shock,” Mr Dunphy said.
“Inspectors will address non-compliance with regulatory notices and low-risk issues through the provision of advice and assistance.”
