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SIX STEPS TO MAINTAINING A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Apart from a builder’s general obligation to ensure the health, safety and welfare of everyone on site, a builder’s main legal obligations can be summarised in six basic steps.
1. CONSULT with your employees and contractors
The law requires you to consult with your employees and contractors about matters that affect safety. This is usually done in ‘tool box’ meetings, however larger builders may need to appoint an OHS representative or establish an OHS Committee.
2. IDENTIFY hazards at the workplace
This involves identifying circumstances on the site which may pose a risk to anyone’s health, safety or welfare.
3. ASSESS the risks
Once you have identified all hazards, you need to assess the risk for each hazard. This involves combining the likelihood of something happening, with the consequences that may follow if it does happen.
Likelihood – Very likely, likely, unlikely, or very unlikely
Consequence – Killed / permanently disabled, long term / serious injury, medical attention, or first aid
The assessment will result in the risk being classed as either a high risk, medium risk, or a low risk, and this will determine how quickly you must act.
4. CONTROL the risks
Once you have assessed the risks, you must then take action to control the risks. This involves eliminating the risk altogether, or if this is not possible, reducing the risk using various methods.
For example, where bricks are being cleaned using acid, you may require your workers to use personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks and goggles, to reduce or minimise the risk.
5. MONITOR the risks
Once you have controlled the risk, it is important to continually monitor the risk and the controls you have introduced, to ensure that they are working effectively.
6. OHS Management Plan
Where construction work is being carried out that exceeds $250,000 in value, by law the builder must have in place a site-specific OHS Management Plan. This must include the following:
- all the details of the person(s) responsible for OHS issues on the site and
- how you have made sure everyone on-site has completed an OHS induction course (known as the ‘White or Green Card’)
- all the details of how you will be managing OHS incidents (and near misses), including the details of any OHS manager you have appointed
- any site safety rules you have in place, and how workers and visitors are to be told of the rules
- Safe Work Method Statements for all work activities that may have safety risks
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