1. White Card update: Domestic Construction Sites – Safety
Inspections.
White Card compliance alert:
Safety Inspections in Victoria
Often when we think of construction sites that we require a White Card for, we naturally
visualise big high rise constructions, road works, bridges, supermarkets etc. But throughout
Australia there are thousands of smaller construction sites which would be categorised as
“domestic”.
Domestic construction sites can range from building small lots of apartments or townhouses,
spec house developments, right down to major renovations of existing homes.
All of these construction sites require a White Card in order to enter the site, according to
Australian legislation.
Recently, Worksafe in Victoria performed some inspections on these types of smaller
construction sites.
SafetyCulture.com.au reported:
Last weekend, WorkSafe carried out random inspections of residential construction sites in
Melbourne’s east.
The inspections were part of a campaign to target basic safety issues at domestic housing sites.
Five inspectors conducted 15 visits and issued 21 improvement notices and four voluntary
compliances to workplaces across the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire.:
Source:
http://www.safetyculture.com.au/news/index.php/04/vic-safety-blitz-on-domestic-construction-sit
es
It’s interesting to note that these inspections were performed on the weekend by Worksafe Vic.
It’s important to remember that Owner Builder renovations are equally considered construction
sites!
SafetyCulture.com.au goes on to say:
Some of the improvement notices issued with regard to:
internal housekeeping, safe access to toilets, and switchboards
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2. external housekeeping debris in public areas
site security to prevent public access
electrical testing and tagging
safe work method statements
no construction induction (CI) cards.
Notice that one of the specific issues picked up by the inspectors was the lack of “construction
induction (CI) cards”… in other words White Cards. Because the White Card requires that you
learn the basic principles of construction site safety, Worksafe takes the absence of this card
very seriously, as we see in the concluding paragraphs of the abovementioned article:
“‘What we find is employers and tradespeople consistently fail to properly address the basic
safety issues like fall protection, electrical safety, housekeeping, site security and supervision.
‘Each notice represents a breach of the OHS legislation. Employers who breach the legislation
are increasing the risk of injury to workers. These employers are potentially liable to prosecution
even in circumstances that do not lead directly to someone being hurt.’” (Quoting WorkSafe’s
acting Director of Construction and Utilities, Allan Beacom)
Source:
http://www.safetyculture.com.au/news/index.php/04/vic-safety-blitz-on-domestic-construction-sit
es
The best place to start to avoid such breaches is to get a White Card, which can be done online
through our course White Card Online.
But how do we know what is defined as construction work?
Let’s turn to the Workplace Health and Safety Queenland site to help us:
“The building and construction industry is diverse with many high risk activities.
Contractors, subcontractors and their workers face risks from hazards that must be
managed to prevent deaths, injuries and illness.
Construction work
Construction work is work to a structure or part of a structure including its:
erection, construction, extension or structural alteration
alteration, conversion, fitting-out, renovation, repair, refurbishment,
commissioning
disassembling or decommissioning.
Construction work also includes:
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3. any work connected with site preparation
any excavation or landscaping work done in connection with construction work
assembling or installing prefabricated components for use in construction work
taking apart a structure or part of a structure into its prefabricated components
demolition work or asbestos removal work (prescribed activities).”
Source: http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/business/construction/whatis/index.htm
And further, our understanding is assisted by these definitions from the same website of What is
a Structure?:
“What is a structure?
A structure includes all types of buildings, walls, or other steel or reinforced concrete
construction.
Structures can also be:
masts, towers, pylons, structural cables or telecommunications structures
infrastructure or other public-use facilities including:production, storage or
distribution facilities for heavy industries, for example refineries
underground works such as shafts, tunnels, pipes, pipelines, sea defence
works, river works, earthworks or other earth retaining construction
roads, highways, footpaths, driveways,
railway lines or sidings, tramway lines
airfields
docks, harbours
water storage or supply systems, sewerage or drainage systems
electricity or gas generation, transmission or distribution facilities,
gasholders
parks or recreation grounds
fixed plant, for example boilers, air conditioning units
ships or submarines
scaffolds, formwork, falsework, or other construction designed or used to provide
support, access or containment during construction work.”
DEIR QLD offers this pdf as a resource to determine what a construction site is:
http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/newlaws_definition_factsheet2006.pdf
Posted by Peter Cutforth
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