Safety in construction snapshot 2022

SafeWork NSW is committed to proactive education, awareness and compliance targeting key harms in the construction sector. The 2022 snapshot report showcases the construction sector initiatives and outcomes.

Raising awareness and educational resources

We delivered the inaugural Building and Construction Symposium which:

  • was supported by 7 regional roadshows
  • had participants from over 500 construction businesses and industry representatives.

We refreshed the pocket guide to construction safety, which:

  • received 288,001 social media views
  • reached 128,498 people
  • was distributed to more than 20,000 people in hard copy.

We amplified engagement with construction PCBUs and workers by:

  • holding 34 Construction Site Supervisor Workshops, which had 1120 attendees
  • releasing 10 SafetyCasts, which received 1812 downloads
  • holding 44 industry presentations by SafeWork NSW inspectors.

We engaged industry with new ways of education with two live webinars focusing on electrical safety in the construction industry, which:

  • received 358 registrations
  • recorded version was downloaded 50 times
  • received over 820 views on YouTube.

We launched a working at heights media campaign which:

  • featured across 1532 radio spots covering metro, regional and CALD audiences
  • reached over 1.87 million people.

Proactive construction inspector compliance visits

Compliance visits targeted key harms in the construction sector.

Mobile and tower cranes

  • 152 sites inspected, with high compliance and minimal notices issued
  • improvement areas include:
    • the age of the crane
    • contacting the Electric Network Operator
    • signage attached to the crane.

Concrete placing equipment (CPE)

  • 78 sites inspected, with 46 notices issued
  • improvement areas include:
    • safety traffic management
    • structural verification for slab load capacity.

Scaff safe

  • 266 sites inspected, with 511 notices and $110,400 in fines issued
  • major improvement areas include:
    • scaffold missing components
    • gaps in scaffolds
    • scaffolds altered by unlicensed trades.

Formwork

  • 90 sites inspected, 111 notices issued, $14,400 in fines
  • major improvement areas include:
    • falls from heights
    • falling objects
    • greater accessibility for plans.

Rooftop solar

  • 76 sites inspected, 143 notices issued, $92,800 in fines
  • major improvement areas include:
    • greater safety measures communicated between retailers and installers
    • greater priority needed for higher order controls
    • lack of fall protection
    • high use of lower order controls.

Mental health

424 sites visited. Visits were educational and aimed to:

  • create supportive environments
  • strengthen the understanding of duties around psychological safety
  • raise awareness of resources to create mentally healthy workplaces.

Silica in construction

453 sites visited. Visits were educational and aimed to:

  • provide guidance about managing the risks of exposure to silica dust
  • raise awareness of control measures to protect worker health.

Download the Safety in construction snapshot - 2022 (PDF, 73.82 KB)

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