NSW construction sites have been put on notice again, after an initial blitz on workplace safety around scaffolding and working from heights saw more than 800 notices issued by the state’s safety regulator.
The previous crackdown saw inspectors identify scaffolding missing critical parts, substandard safety measures for workers at heights and a number of unlicensed workers.
Kevin Anderson, Minister for Better Regulation, has called for the industry to improve its standards after the most recent blitz and warned that there are heavy fines at the disposal of SafeWork inspectors as they attend sites.
“This is no joke – this year alone three people have died and 25 have been seriously injured due to falling from a height,” Mr Anderson said.
“Over the first three month, blitz SafeWork inspectors issued 26 penalty notices, 232 prohibition notices and 580 improvement notices, 500 of which were for risks associated with falling from heights.
“We will not tolerate poor safety and workers lives being placed at risk on our worksites. From today we are kicking off a new three-month blitz, focusing on these risks.
“The sites we’ve identified can expect another visit very soon.”
Mr Anderson also took the opportunity to remind PCBUs that notices issued by SafeWork are only the first step and that the Work Health and Safety Act had recently been amended to include plus-six-figure fines and jail time for those doing the wrong thing.
“NSW is proud to be leading the way with the strongest work health and safety legislation in the country, and we will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who disregards the safety of others,” Mr Anderson said.
“Everyone should feel safe doing their job. If you spot anything risky, play your part in protecting your own safety as well as that of your workmates by immediately reporting it to SafeWork via the Speak Up app.”
The Speak Up app is an anonymous reporting tool that workers or members of the public can use to submit photos and reports of unsafe working conditions, to alert SafeWork NSW.