SafeWork inspectors are out in force across NSW targeting scaffold safety on construction sites as the industry continues its crackdown on falls from heights.
The organisation said this “Scaff Safe” campaign is taking a “zero-tolerance approach” to workers’ lives being put at risk after recent data found that the spike in penalty notices (more than double since 2021) has resulted in falls from unsafe scaffolding being more than halved.
But this promising reversal still isn’t enough according to officers, as falls from height still rank as the number leading cause of death on NSW construction sites and commonly cause injuries that land tradies an ambulance ride home from the job site.
These include often career-ending ligament, muscle and tendon damage or traumatic joint injury, with more than 5200 incidents reported since 2021/2022.
According to officers, the most common cases involved:
- Workers falling from, or through, scaffolds that are poorly erected, incomplete or have been altered by unlicensed workers, such as brickies, builders, painters,
- Tradies falling from scaffolds due to misuse, like standing on rails or boxes or adding makeshift work platforms.
- Scaffold collapse due to incorrect assembly, overloading platforms, or incompatible or overly rusted/rotted componentry.
- Unsecured objects falling off scaffolds and hitting people below,
- Scaffolds being struck by mobile vehicles or being snagged by a crane
- Scaffolders being injured when unsafely erecting, adjusting or dismantling scaffolds.
Inspectors will be visiting sites to talk with principal contractors and site supervisors about how to keep their site ‘Scaff Safe’, including verifying they have a plan in place to manage scaffold safety for each stage of the build.
Those caught lacking without a risk management plan or breaching any safety regulations will be handed on-the-spot fines, ranging from $900 for individuals to $4500 for businesses.
Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said she hoped the fines would remind employers of their duties to worker safety.
“Scaffold requires constant attention and coordination. It can kill workers when not built safely, with the main risks being falls from heights, falling components, scaffold collapse and contact with powerlines,” she said.
“All workers have the right to go home to their loved ones at the end of their workday.”
How to make your scaffolding compliant
If you don’t feel like forking out your hard-earned cash for a fine, here are some tips for making your scaffolding compliant before your next inspection.
- Scaffold is only erected, altered and dismantled by workers with the appropriate scaffolding high-risk work (HRW) licence.
- Inspect the scaffold before accepting written confirmation (e.g. handover certificate), to be assured you have a complete, safe and compliant scaffold.
- Have the scaffold inspected at least every 30 days by a competent person.
- Create a plan for how/when the scaffold will be modified as the construction project progresses so that the scaffold remains safe and compliant throughout the build.
- Put effective systems in place to stop unauthorised access to incomplete sections of the scaffold.
- Ensure workers on scaffolds are protected from powerlines. Talk with the network provider to check the safe working distance or if hoarding is required.
- Check your scaffold daily, looking for no risk of falls, falling objects or scaffold collapse.
