Guidance for supervision of construction sites

WorkSafe ACT has issued a Guidance Note on what is adequate supervision on a construction site.

The guidance applies to the construction, renovation or extension of:

1. detached houses;
2. attached dwellings, separated from each other by a fire-resisting wall, such as terrace, row or town houses;
3. boarding or guest houses and hostels or similar with a floor area of <300 m²; and
4. ancillary buildings to the above, such as private garages, gazeboes and carports.

Builders must provide the degree of supervision necessary for work on their sites to be carried out safely and without risks to health. The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 requires builders, and other employers, to provide any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect their workers from health and safety risks arising from their work.

In order to comply with work health and safety WHS [sometimes called OHS] law, the supervision provided by the builder must be effective, meaning that it should be clearly delegated, competent and timely.

This guidance note seeks to assist builders to determine the adequacy of the WHS supervision they provide on their housing construction sites.

The WorkSafe ACT’s new Guidance Note is available for download.