SafeWork NSW inspectors will be cracking down on construction sites throughout the Hunter region today, ensuring businesses are adhering to their safety obligations and keeping workers safe with a focus on regulatory priorities including falls from heights, working with electricity, moving plant, and mental health.
The targeted locations include Cessnock, Singleton, Port Stephens, Dungog, Muswellbrook, MidCoast and Newcastle.
Earlier this year, a focused operation in the inner-city Newcastle region addressed key safety concerns and prompted immediate improvements on numerous sites.
The construction compliance blitz saw SafeWork NSW inspectors visit 54 construction sites, issuing 95 improvement notices, 28 prohibition notices and 2 penalty notices with fines totalling $9000 relating to falls.
SafeWork NSW is expanding inspections across the Hunter which aim to drive industry-wide awareness and compliance, supporting safer working environments for all construction workers - regardless of locations.
SafeWork continues to see workers being put at risk due to a lack of job planning, poor site supervision and the failure to use what are well-known and easy to apply preventative controls such as edge protection and not working near or on live electrical wiring. Inspectors will not tolerate workers lives being put at risk.
Inspectors will be focusing on a range of common issues during their visits including:
- Falls from heights and falls on the same level, including from slips and trip hazards
- Exposure to hazardous substances
- Being injured by moving vehicles or plant and machinery
- Psychosocial hazards from high work demands, low job support and harmful behaviours including workplace sexual harassment harms.
When on-site, Inspectors will be engaging with workers, businesses, Health and Safety Representatives and union representatives about psychological health and safety, providing advice and resources to manage psychosocial hazards. These can include harassment, bullying, unreasonable work pressure, exposure to a traumatic event, violence and hazardous physical working environments.
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