Staying safe as the year comes to a close
The Christmas holidays are fast approaching and SafeWork NSW is urging all builders and construction professionals to remain vigilant of safety. Additionally, it’s important to leave work sites as secure as people heading into the break. “Our tradies are widely considered the backbone of our state’s economy and SafeWork is committed to ensuring they make it home safely right up until the end of the year,” SafeWork NSW head Trent Curtin says.
GALLERY
“We want all our workers to make it to this break safely, so SafeWork is asking those working on construction sites across the state to continue upholding safe work practices despite the festive season approaching. Coming into the end of the year, there can be a tendency on worksites around the state for employees to rush through jobs in an attempt to meet end-of-year deadlines.”
SafeWork’s pocket-size guide to construction safety has useful information on common health and safety issues on construction sites, including working at heights, falling objects and electricity.
The Christmas and New Year break is the longest shutdown in the construction industry, and unsecured sites can pose a great risk to the community during the school holidays, so worksites must have adequate fencing and ensure that any entrances are locked.
Before closing for the year, site managers and workers should ensure:
- Power is switched off at their site
- Debris is cleared
- Access is blocked to elevated floors, scaffolding, and ladders
- Plant and equipment, tools, chemicals and dangerous goods are secured
- Water drums are emptied
- Appropriate signage is erected, including an after-hours contact number.
- Cover voids, pits, trenches and pier holes
- Cap all exposed reinforcement bars
SafeWork urges all site managers and workers to fill out SafeWork’s online and interactive site shutdown checklist, to make certain they are ready to leave their site unattended during the holidays.
Image courtesy of Jamar Penny on Unsplash.
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