National campaign to improve scaffolding safety
Issue Date: - Friday, 24 July 2009
Workplace safety authorities across Australia are undertaking a nationally coordinated targeted intervention campaign to improve scaffolding safety in the construction industry.
The national campaign will see workplace safety inspectors from all states visit residential and commercial construction sites to ensure safe work procedures are in place to address the risks of erecting and using scaffolding.
“The construction industry is a high risk industry,” WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today.
“Sadly, we still see a large number of injuries and deaths on construction sites,” Ms Lyhne said.
“WorkSafe focuses a lot of attention on education as well as on enforcement to reinforce the need for improved safety,” she said.
“Recent scaffolding incidents have led to the death of a number of workers and seriously injured others across Australia.
“Industry is being advised of the intervention campaign, and inspectors from WA will be undertaking inspections over two months from 1 August to 30 September.”
Ms Lyhne said that on-site visits would raise awareness of safety issues relating to scaffolding and improve the ability of contractors, employers and workers to identify, assess and control the hazards and risks associated with scaffolding.
“The targeted intervention program provides a coordinated national approach to address safety issues.
“It will also provide state authorities with an understanding of the current level of compliance in the construction industry.”
Ms Lyhne said the campaign was also designed to increase the capability among trades linked to construction such as form workers, brick layers, tilers and painters to identify, assess and control the risks of working with scaffolding.
“The campaign is another example of the states and territories working in unison to ensure a nationally consistent approach to workplace safety.”
The campaign supports the national occupational health and safety strategy to facilitate the development of consistent approaches to agreed Australian and New Zealand workplace safety priorities.
More information about workplace safety and scaffolding can be found on the web at www.worksafe.wa.gov.au or www.hwsa.org.au