Residential construction safety – back to basics campaign WorCover Queensland's initiative aims to diminish injuries among workers engaged in fundamental construction tasks at residential developments.
The campaign objectives are to:
Enhance residential builders' ability to manage risks related to basic construction activities elevate compliance with relevant work health and safety duties (WHS) in the residential construction sector cultivate relationships between WHSQ inspectors and the residential construction sector collaborate with stakeholders like industry associations, major residential developers, and local governments to address planning and design phase issues in residential construction. Inspectors, during site assessments, will emphasize:
Falls prevention (voids, ladders, trestles, and other work platforms) appropriate tool usage safety planning, including the preparation of safe work method statements site housekeeping site security site supervision additional concerns (e.g., electrical). WHSQ completed the campaign's initial phase, conducting 1,418 site assessments from August 2015 to August 2016.
Findings indicated key areas for improvement: falls prevention, site security, housekeeping, and additional issues, primarily related to electrical matters. For further details, refer to the interim campaign summary report (PDF, 1.49 MB).
WHSQ inspectors will continue site visits throughout 2017.
Target Audience: This statewide campaign focuses on residential construction sites. Inspectors will visit construction worksites in various Queensland locations with significant residential development activity.
Preparation for Businesses: Resources are available to aid residential builders, civil contractors, carpenters, bricklayers, painters, plumbers, and small contractors.
- Managing the risk of falls while working on roofs in housing construction (PDF, 3.14 MB)
- Dial before you dig - safe excavation information
- Residential construction safety - back to basics campaign interim report (PDF, 1.49 MB)
Onsite traffic management project WorCover Queensland initiated a statewide assessment campaign starting in July 2016, focusing on traffic management in workplaces within the construction, manufacturing, transport, and agriculture industries. The project aims to reduce fatalities and injuries caused by incidents involving mobile plant and vehicles at Queensland workplaces. WHSQ inspectors visit workplaces as part of the project to raise awareness of risks and assist in implementing effective traffic management strategies.
Young workers in construction This campaign aims to enhance the health and safety of young workers in the construction industry, addressing their over-representation in injury statistics compared to more experienced counterparts. WHSQ inspectors, between April and June 2016, visited worksites across Queensland, engaging with young workers and supervisors to gather information and data. The goal is to understand how the construction industry can be made safer for young workers. The campaign also promotes the Young Worker Safety Toolkit to help supervisors and managers ensure a safe and healthy workplace.
Leadership in major contractors: Preventing sprain and strain injuries campaign WHSQ completed phase one of this campaign, involving advisory assessments of principal contractors' hazardous manual tasks risk management systems and on-site verification assessments. The focus was on large principal contractors in the commercial and civil sectors. The findings emphasized the need for strong industry leadership and collaboration to reduce musculoskeletal disorders in construction. Phase two, beginning in November 2016, includes follow-up assessments with phase one participants and new assessments of other major contractors. The assessments provide opportunities for organizations to evaluate and improve hazardous manual task risk management systems.
Mobile and operational plant in construction This campaign assessed compliance levels in controlling risks associated with mobile and operational plant on civil and heavy construction sites. Targeting maintenance, operator competence, and traffic management, the campaign measured the effectiveness of safe work method statements and control documentation for high-risk construction activities. WHSQ inspectors conducted planned and unplanned audits across all sectors of the construction industry.
Past campaigns
- The material delivery and site management in residential construction campaign report (PDF, 1.15 MB)
- Managing risks of mobile and operational plant report (PDF, 0.74 MB)
- Manual handling plasterboard campaign report 2013 (PDF, 0.16 MB)
- 10-year major inspections of mobile and tower cranes 2008 (PDF, 0.05 MB)
- Recommendations on improving the safe use of suspended (swing stage) scaffolds 2008 (PDF, 0.08 MB)
- Tunnelling road header and related operations: dust conditions and their control 2010 (PDF, 0.15 MB)