WorkSafe ACT Strategic Summit prioritises worker safety

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, Suzanne Orr, joined stakeholders at the WorkSafe ACT Strategic Summit, to discuss safety at residential construction sites. The Minister highlighted the importance of improving the construction industry’s safety culture and performance, as part of the new independent WorkSafe ACT. Minister Orr said the aim of the summit was to engage with key industry and union leaders, talk through WorkSafe ACT’s strategic focus and enforcement priorities over the next four years, and seek input for WorkSafe’s Residential Construction Strategy. Minister Orr said two recent fatalities in the residential construction industry left her in no doubt that the industry’s safety culture needs to change.

“The feedback from stakeholders today will be invaluable in shaping WorkSafe’s response to improving safety in the residential construction industry,” Minister Orr said.

The ACT Work Health and Safety Commissioner, Jacqueline Agius, said that WorkSafe ACT has an important role to play in promoting work health and safety through regulatory compliance and enforcement activities across all industries.

“Residential construction workers should feel safe on the job every day. I will be working closely with this industry to improve their safety culture and to prevent workplace deaths and injuries in the ACT,” Agius said.

Agius will provide a response to the Statement of Expectations in early September, which will outline WorkSafe ACT’s plans for 2020–2021.

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