Whs Quick Check

Top hazards in Construction

• •Falls from height (single largest cause of construction fatalities in AU)
• •Struck-by mobile plant / vehicle
• •Crush injuries from collapsing structures
• •Silica dust (engineered stone — banned 1 July 2024)
• •Asbestos exposure (in demolition / refurb)
• •Manual handling injuries

Employer / PCBU duties

• •Safe Work Method Statements for high-risk construction work
• •Site safety plan and induction (white card)
• •PPE provision and enforcement
• •Falls hazards prevention plan for any work >2m
• •Air monitoring and respiratory protection for silica / asbestos work

Penalty for breach (varies by state — check your regulator): Maximum penalties for the most serious WHS offence (Category 1 — reckless conduct exposing a person to a risk of death or serious injury) differ across the country. Most states set a fixed maximum of around $3 million for a body corporate (for example Queensland $3 million, Western Australia $3.5 million), with up to 5 years imprisonment for an individual. The Commonwealth (Comcare) and New South Wales set much higher, annually-indexed maximums — into the tens of millions for a body corporate. Lesser offences (Categories 2 and 3) carry lower maximums. Always check your state regulator for the exact current figure. Source: state WHS regulators; Safe Work Australia.

Your worker duties

• •Take reasonable care for own and others' safety
• •Follow safe work procedures and instructions
• •Use PPE provided
• •Report hazards to supervisor
• •Stop work if there's an imminent serious risk (s 84 WHS Act)