Initiatives to protect apprentices working on South Australian construction sites will be a key focus of an industry action plan developed by the State’s Work Health and Safety regulator as part of a push to improve health and safety within the sector.
To coincide with National Tradies Health Month, SafeWork SA has released its Construction Action Plan, which highlights ten priority areas to improve Workplace Health and Safety over the next two years.
The plan seeks to partner with industry and unions to support employers and workers, in particular those in the small business sector, to develop practical work processes and systems that provide a safe working environment for all construction workers, especially apprentices.
The key risk factors and issues facing the construction industry include:
- A fall prevention campaign to improve awareness of the risks and practical control measures
-
Physical and mental health and wellbeing programs to address workplace stress, fatigue, the effects of drug and alcohol and other lifestyle factors
-
The development of educational material covering asbestos, working in hot conditions and how to avoid utility strikes
-
Partnering with government agencies and industry stakeholders – including both business and workers’ representative bodies – to incorporate safety into the concept, tendering and procuring stages of a construction project
-
Collaboration with industry to find solutions to the risks associated with elevating work platforms and people working around mobile plant
-
Building leadership capacity in middle management
