Campaign to improve scaffolding safety

Recent scaffolding-related incidents in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria have prompted Australia’s workplace safety authorities to mount a national campaign, through their joint body, the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA). This will see inspectors from all states visit residential and commercial construction sites to ensure that safe work procedures are in place to address the risks of erecting and using scaffolding.

In South Australia, workplace inspections will begin in August and will focus on ensuring construction site scaffolding complies with the relevant Australian standards for prefabricated, aluminium, trestle and swing-stage scaffolds.

SafeWork SA Executive Director Michele Patterson says the campaign will highlight the need for vigilance and care during the erection, use and dismantling of scaffolding to ensure the safety of workers and the public: “The aim of the on-site advisory visits is to raise awareness of safety issues relating to scaffolding as well as improve the ability of contractors, employers and workers to identify, assess and control the hazards and risks associated with scaffolding.

“This campaign will provide a coordinated national approach to address safety issues while also giving the states and territories a clear picture of the extent of compliance in the construction industry.

“We also intend to increase the capability among trades linked to construction (such as form workers, bricklayers, tilers and painters) to identify, assess and control the risks of working with scaffolding.

“The risk associated with scaffolding should not be underestimated, as evident by the severe scaffolding incidents that have occurred interstate. People must always be safety conscious when erecting, altering, using and dismantling scaffolding.”

SafeWork SA has consulted with industry representatives in advance of this campaign, which will include random site visits at up to 50 construction sites throughout August and September.