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The Western Australian occupational safety and health laws require employers to take care of the safety and health of their workers and others at the workplace.
This includes:
Employers must identify risks at the workplace, and where possible eliminate or minimise those risks.
The number of workers on a construction project can vary significantly between projects and from day to day. Where workers work closely together it increases the risk of exposure to COVID-19. You must therefore do everything that is reasonably practicable to keep workers at a safe physical distance apart of at least 1.5 metres while they are onsite or working.
You must implement control measures to minimise the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that other measures to address well known work safety and health risks continue to be implemented (e.g. Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)). This is the case even if implementing control measures results in delays to your project schedule or cause disruption.
Workers in this industry were required to have received their second dose of vaccine by 31 January 2022. The WA Government has released information on Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination to prepare WA and safeguard essential services and business for the long-term.
In particular there is a section entitled “Compliance for employers and staff” which includes the following: “Each employer or person in charge of a workplace must ensure that their employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, or exempt from vaccination.”
For futher information see Department of Health publications:
Physical distancing
Physical distancing on construction sites will be challenging at times but is a key measure to minimise the spread of COVID-19.
You must do what you can to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19:
Nominate a responsible officer on site to make sure your workers are following the rules for physical distancing.
The Australian Government Department of Health has a range of posters and other resources aimed at educating the public about COVID-19. These posters can be placed in client-facing work environments like workplace entrances.
The health of your workers should be checked for key symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever.
Workers who have visited an exposure site during the relevant times, are required to follow the corresponding health advice issued for that location, unless directly advised otherwise by the Department of Health. They are also required to notify WA Police by phoning 13 COVID (13 26843).
The time COVID-19 survives on objects and surfaces will vary. Environmental cleaning is one way to remove COVID-19 particles.
Construction work inevitably requires regular touching of objects and surfaces. This means that usual cleaning schedules on construction sites will need to be increased.
To minimise the risk of exposure to COVID-19, the person cleaning should wear gloves and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser before and after wearing gloves. Gloves and alcohol-based hand sanitiser should be made available throughout the construction site. Workers should be trained to clean down plant or equipment immediately after use.
Workplaces should consider limiting or reducing recirculated air-conditioning in common areas.
See the Department of Health information sheet on Environmental cleaning and disinfection-principles for COVID-19 for further information.
Workers should be required to practise good hygiene. This includes:
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, workers should also:
Washroom facilities on construction sites should have adequate supplies for good hygiene, such as adequate supply of soap, water and toilet paper. Washroom facilities must be kept clean, properly stocked and in good working order.
Construction sites should be well stocked with alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
You should:
Non-essential visits to the workplace should be cancelled or postponed.
Deliveries and contractors who need to attend the workplace should be given clear instructions of your requirements while they are on site.
Minimise the number of workers attending to deliveries and contractors as much as possible. Make alcohol-based hand sanitiser available for workers after physically handling deliveries.
Direct visiting truck drivers to remain in vehicles and use contactless methods such as mobile phones to communicate with workers wherever possible.
Where possible use, electronic paper work to minimise physical interaction and set up alternatives to requiring signatures. For instance, confirmation emails or a photo of the loaded or unloaded goods might be accepted as proof of delivery or collection.
You should provide workers with information about the risks of exposure to COVID-19. Where required, workers should be trained in infection control.
The Australian Government Department of Health has a range of posters and other resources aimed at educating the public about COVID-19.
You should consult with workers on safety and health matters relating to COVID-19. Allow workers to express views before you make decisions.
You should also consult with other duty holders working on site.
Workers are most likely to know about the risks of their work. Involving them will help build worker commitment to this process and any changes.
The guidance note: formal consultative processes in the workplace can give you more information about consultation in your workplace.
Communicate clearly with workers about control measures. Provide clear direction and guidance about what is expected of workers.
Workers should know:
Remind workers they have a duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and health and to not adversely affect the safety and health of others.
Provide workers with a point of contact to discuss their concerns, and access to support services, including employee assistance programs.
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