WorkSafe ACT inspectors issued more than 30 notices over 15 residential construction sites in the Gungahlin suburb of Throsby yesterday, Wednesday 18 November.
Despite the issuing of 21 improvement notices, nine prohibition notices and one infringement notice, Work Health and Safety Commissioner Jacqueline Agius said she was pleased with the results of the operation, which she deemed to be an improvement on the results of a previous inspection earlier this month on 4 November.
“At our first visit to Throsby, we visited 18 residential construction sites and issued 12 prohibition notices, 42 improvement notices, and four infringement notices,” Ms Agius said.
“We are glad to see a reduction in the number of notices issued at residential construction sites in Throsby this time, but there is still more work to be done to improve WHS standards.”
The inspections in Throsby were completed as part of WorkSafe’s Operation Safe Prospect, the independent regulator‘s ongoing crackdown on work health and safety issues in the residential construction industry. The campaign has so far shutdown a number of sites in the ACT.
“We continue to see safety risks at residential construction sites, which can lead to death or serious injury … Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU’s) need to make sure they have safe systems of work in place and that safety is prioritised at their sites.”
“Safety must come first so that every worker can make it home safely at the end of their shift,” Ms Agius said.
“Through Operation Safe Prospect we will continue visiting and re-visiting greenfield sites in the Territory, to make sure that workers WHS obligations are complied with.”
