ACT Construction Safety Officer Speaks Out

Whistleblower slams site safety

The recent attention received by the appauling safety record of ACT construction sites has lead a construction site safety officer to speak out. The worker spoke out about the exploitation of construction workers by employers who are forced to neglect safety in order to receive their pay. The death of concreter Ben Catanzariti has highlighted the loopholes in the industry that are costing lives.

This post by Canberratimes.com.au has the full details:

The ACT construction industry is plagued by a culture of silence over dangerous safety breaches, which has seen at least one outspoken safety officer bashed and sent death threats, a whistleblower says.

 And vulnerable construction workers, including dozens of illegal foreign workers, are being pressured to sign off on workplace safety to get their pay cheques, the construction union says.

 The lethal consequences of workplace safety were brought into sharp focus this week, after the death of concreter Ben Catanzariti, 21, who died after being hit by a concrete boom at a Kingston site on the weekend.

 Just days later, a worker fell from scaffolding and speared his leg through a reinforcing bar, and a worker yesterday fell from formwork at a Belconnen site.

 Mr Catanzariti’s death, the fourth since December, sparked an industry-wide audit of the construction industry by the ACT government, with Attorney-General Simon Corbell citing fears that companies are trading off the safety of workers for profits.

 But startling revelations have been made by a former safety officer at the Nishi construction site in New Acton, who wants to lift the code of silence gripping the sector.

 Adam Usher, formerly an electrical leading hand and safety officer for a sub-contracting firm, has told The Canberra Times he regularly received death threats and was repeatedly involved in brawls over reporting safety breaches on the site.

 He has also alleged he witnessed dozens of near-misses that were never dealt with properly, including an incident where a WorkSafe ACT officer was almost hit by a falling reinforcing bar after shutting down the site for safety breaches.

 ”The builders’ representatives repeatedly breached OH&S guidelines and ignored requests made by WorkSafe inspectors,” Mr Usher said. ”The inspectors shut the site down due to the number of non-compliance infractions every time they visited. It’s just like every single site I’ve worked on in Canberra.”

 The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union ACT secretary Dean Hall said there had been numerous complaints about people being victimised as safety representatives.

 The Master Builders Association could not recall any incidents of workers being victimised because they raised safety issues.

 Molonglo Group and PBS had never heard of workers receiving death threats and said it could have been a response from a disgruntled worker.

 They also said the site was very ”safety strict”.

 WorkSafe ACT has visited the Nishi site numerous times in the past six months – more than most in the capital.

 ACT Work Safety commissioner Mark McCabe said in one incident ”there was something we believe thrown at one of our inspectors but we could not prove what had happened or who had done it so we couldn’t do anything about it”.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/whistleblower-slams-site-safety-20120727-230cx.html#ixzz21rU2cRob

WorkSafe recorded an astonishing 1570 visits to construction sites over the period 2010-2011.This amounted to an average of four a day which means that the industry accounted for approximately 59 per cent of all visits in the ACT. 

The agency reported receiving a number of anonymous tipoffs about safety issues on construction sites in the Act. Presumably due to the danger of being victimised if they follow the appropriate channels.  Unfortunately in a small town, victimisation would make a person’s life miserable and make it difficult for them to get a job.

 People are threatened with raising safety issues because it is believed that there’s going to be a cost to the business and to the worker ultimately. 

An audit has been ordered into the construction safety in ACT, so hopefully soon a solution will be found to the high number of injuries and deaths being experienced.

Posted by Steven Asnicar

 

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland Alert

Operating Cranes and Plant near Overhead Electric Lines

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has issued an alert aimed to assist employers and operators of the dangers associated with operating plant and cranes near overhead powerlines.

This post by SafetyCulture.com describes the alert in detail:

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has issued an alert regarding contact with overhead electric lines when operating a crane or other plant.

 It is a risky scenario as as it can be extremely difficult for crane or plant operators to see or judge distances from them.

 Actual contact with the lines is not needed to deliver an electric shock, as a close approach to the line conductors may cause a ‘flashover’ or arc.

 Before operating a crane or item of mobile plant, a worksite inspection should be conducted to identify potential hazards such as overhead electric lines or other electrical equipment. A risk assessment should include:

 the location and voltage of the overhead electric lines

 the nature, size and shape of the load to be moved

 the setting up and packing up processes

 the type of crane, mobile plant, machinery and equipment used and its design envelope

 the stability of crane or mobile plant and suspended loads

 site conditions, including unexpected movement of the terrain, ground or surface upon which the crane or plant is located

 the prevailing and unexpected wind strength and direction and weather conditions

 the qualifications, competency, skill and experience of people doing the work

 traffic or pedestrians that could interfere with the work

 the minimum clearance distance from the closest part of the crane or other operating plant to the electric line

 whether the load is being carried above the electric lines and may accidentally fall onto the energised lines

 the possibility of sway and sag of the overhead electric lines

 the possibility of the crane or plant becoming energised through voltage induced by adjacent electric lines, especially high voltage lines

 how the load being carried by a crane is secured and whether any part of the load may inadvertently move during the operation and encroach on the authorised person zone

 the potential for inadvertent movement of the crane or mobile plant, the load, people and electrical equipment in the area

 the functional behaviour of the crane, load or plant that could result in inadvertent contact with overhead electric lines.

 Electric lines should always be treated as energised unless the operator of the crane or mobile plant has received an access authority or other form of written documentation from the electricity supply authority which allows people to work within the no-go zone.

Source: http://www.safetyculture.com.au/news/index.php/07/safety-alert-for-operating-cranes-near-overhead-electrical-lines/

Contact with overhead powerlines can pose a serious risk of electrocution when operating a crane or other plant because of the difficulty they experience judging the distance between the crane and the powerlines overhead.

Workers on a construction site, whether working with plant and machinery or not will encounter this equipment at some time or the other due to their prevalence on site. It is difficult to imagine a construction without plant or machinery, especially commercial sites. Therefore it is important for uncertified persons who have not been trained in crane operation to be aware of safety procedures for plant and machinery. These plant and machinery include cranes, concrete booms, elevating work platforms, earthmoving equipment etc.

In order to manage the risk involved with operation of plant and machinery, first these risks need to be identified. An inspection to identify the risk involved with setting up cranes or other equipment in the vicinity of power lines should be carried out. The crane or machinery operator should be included in the risk identification process together with the employer.

When working with power lines overhead, authorities suggest you treat all electric power lines as live and either have them de-energised or create an exclusion zone around them and keep workers out. De-energising power lines should only be done once arrangements have been made with electricity authorities during the planning stages.

Once the risks have been identified, the employer should conduct a written assessment of the risk and it’s potential for harm.

By following the appropriate measures, employers and operators can reduce the number of operator injuries and deaths that occur each year as a result of contact with overhead powerlines.

Posted by Steven Asnicar

 

White Card Online: Unguarded Machinery a Problem on Site

WorkSafe has begun a year long campaign to highlight the dangers of unguarded machinery, coincidentally co-insiding with an accident which left a worker injured after his thumb was crushed by an unguarded machine. The company involved has been issued a $30,000 fine because it removed guarding from a machine.

The importance of guarding has been highlighted by WorkSafe’s Regional Director Shane Gillard who has urged other businesses not to ignore safety on their sites but address any issues before it was too late such as the company involved in this story.

The company, Campbellfield manufacturing company, neglected the duties in failing to properly guard the machinery, in addition to failing to provide the appropriate instruction, training and supervision.

This post by SafetyCulture.com.au provides more insight:

A business has this week been fined $30,000 in the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court after a contractor had his thumb crushed in an unguarded machine in 2010.

 The prosecution come as WorkSafe begins a 12-month campaign targeting dangerous machines.

 Regional Director, Shane Gillard, said removing guarding from a machine was a recipe for disaster and urged businesses to revisit safety practices around machinery before it was too late.

 “Guarding is there to protect workers from being seriously hurt or killed, yet we frequently come across incidents where someone has suffered a serious injury that could easily be prevented,” he said.

 The Campbellfield manufacturing company pleaded guilty to failing to provide instruction, training and supervision.

 The worker’s thumb was crushed while operating an unguarded operating press after a safety device that stops the machine from working when guarding is removed was taken off.

 The court heard the device was removed by a sub-contractor who was engaged by the company to carry out work and training at the site.

 The subcontractor spent 10 minutes removing the device on the day of the incident then trained the worker to work the press without the guard.

 He later told WorkSafe investigators he was aware the press was being used by the worker without the interlocked guard.

 WorkSafe’s investigation found the company did not know the interlocked guard had been removed by the sub-contractor, but failed to provide proper supervision, instruction and training.

 The company was fined $30,000, without conviction, while the subcontractor had earlier received a $5000 fine in May after pleading guilty to failure by a self-employed person to ensure people are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

Source: http://www.safetyculture.com.au/news/index.php

Many machines and equipment on construction sites can be dangerous and pose a variety of risks. These risks must be either eliminated or reduced. Quite often elimination of the risk is not possible, as the particular machinery is necessary for the task, in this case minimisation of the risk should be the next priority and this can be done by introducing guarding to prevent access of workers or their extremities to dangerous parts.

Every workplace using machinery needs to implement the appropriate guarding. Employers have a duty to protect the health and safety of their workers on site and according to the law part of that protection involves providing appropriate machine guards. These need not be elaborate or complicated and should not interfere with productivity in any way.

The first step in guarding machinery is to identify the hazards and the associated levels of risk. Employers should look at the safety characteristics of machines when purchasing new equipment and try to get suppliers and manufacturers to fit guards to your specifications.

Identifying the hazards or events that could give rise to a potential injury needs consideration, including the types of injury or illness they can cause such as lacerations or crushed fingers (such as this worker) caused through inadequate machine guarding.

Employers should conduct a separate risk assessment for each machine and any associated system of work used with that machine.

Consultation between employers and employees is an important step to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing control measures such as machine guarding is essential.

If an employer has determined that a hazard cannot be eliminated or replaced with a less hazardous option, the next preferred measure is to use an engineering control.  Examples of engineering controls that can be introduced to minimise the risk of machine injury is introducing guarding, using enclosures, automating a process.

 Posted by Steven Asnicar

 

WorkCover NSW Issues Mobile Plant Safety Alert

NSW Safety Watchdog WorCover has issued a safety alert regarding the use of mobile plant and machinery around overhead powerlines following numerous incidents being reported daily.

This post by SafetyCulture.com.au has more:

WorkCover-logo-250x313-21

 WorkCover and NSW Electricity supply authorities continue to receive notifications of incidents where mobile plant have come into contact with energised overhead power lines.

 Since July 2011, there have been a total of 55 incidents reported where cranes, machinery and other mobile plant have come into contact with power lines.

 Such incidents include:

  • A mobile crane operator struck a 11kV power line when unloading a truck.
  • A truck driver raised a tipper and struck a 11kV power line.
  • An excavator boom struck a 11kV power line.
  • A low loader struck low voltage overhead power lines.
  • An operator raised a drill rig into high voltage transmission lines.
  • A wheat harvester struck power lines, which resulted in a fire that engulfed the machine.
  •  A cement truck reversed into an overhead service line at a residential property.

 The state safety administrator points out that each of these incidents is the result of a failure to identify the hazard of overhead power lines and a failure to implement a safe system of work, including the maintenance of safe approach distances from the energised power lines

Source: http://www.safetyculture.com.au/news/index.php/07/nsw-safety-watchdog-releases-mobile-plantoverhead-power-lines-safety-alert/

When working with power lines overhead, authorities suggest you treat all electric power lines as live and either have them de-energised or create an exclusion zone around them and keep workers out. De-energising power lines should only be done once arrangements have been made with electricity authorities during the planning stages.

Once the risks have been identified, the employer should conduct a written assessment of the risk and it’s potential for harm.

In assessing the risk the employer or self-employed person should consider the following:

  • The minimum clearance distance between the crane/machinery and the power line
  • The characteristics of the load being transported in the case of cranes, including dimensions of the load and whether the load is conductive.  Similarly to electric lines, loads should also be assumed to be conductive until proof that it is not has been provided by a person qualified to do so.
  • Also consider whether the load is above the electric line. If it is there is a possibility of it falling onto the lines.
  • Also consider unexpected movement of the terrain, ground or surface upon which the crane or plant is located, possibly resulting in a corresponding surge or sudden movement towards live electric lines.
  • Consider the weather, prevailing or unexpected wind strength and direction.
  • What are the chances of swaying or sagging of over lines. This can be caused by weather or varying temperatures.
  • Whether the functional behaviour of the crane, load or plant may result in contact with electric lines overhead.
  • What is the likelihood of crane or plant or machinery becoming live through contact with energized line.
  • How the load being carried by a crane is secured and if a part of the load may come into contact with the electric line.

The next step in the process would be to develop strategies to either eliminate the hazard or minimise its risk. With all workplace risks, elimination is always the preferred method of dealing with risks.

There are a variety of methods that can be undertaken to eliminate the risk, such as de-energising lines, rerouting electric lines or replacing existing overhead lines with underground lines.

Often, elimination is not possible, so replacing the risk with one less risky would be the next alternative. 

The next step in the process would be the isolation of the hazard. Some examples of this may be to erect a physical barrier to prevent any part of the machine or the load being moved from entering  the exclusion zone and injuring someone outside of the zone.  A non-conductive physical barrier should be erected and be capable of withstanding an impact from falling objects, loose materials or other plant or machinery.

Alternatively re-designing equipment or the work process should be undertaken. This may involve using limiting devices to limit the movement of the machinery so that it does not accidentally injure a worker nearby. Where the limiting device prevents movement, sudden stopping or the momentum of the load should be considered.

The introduction of administrative measures is the next measure that should be considered and can include using a safety observer to watch and warn workers and machinery operators of dangers while the machinery is in movement.

It does not need to be said again because all workers should be wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Using insulated gloves may be one such method, as it will prevent electrocution when the worker comes into contact with a conducting part of the crane, plant or

When implementing risk treatment measures need to be developed when elimination is not possible. Monitoring and reviewing the risk treatment measures developed should be conducted regularly and whenever the work site changes. Modification of the measure or its implementation should then be carried out.

Posted by Steven Asnicar

 

 

White Card Update: Construction Worker Hit by Falling Glass

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According to a report on Examiner.com.au a construction worker lies critical in hospital after being hit by a sheet of falling glass outside a Hospital Construction site. The man was working as a glazier when the incident occurred and the man had to be treated for severe lacerations. He is still in a critical condition but has stabilised since yesterday.

The post goes on to state:

A CONSTRUCTION worker is in a critical condition after being crushed by a sheet of glass outside the Launceston General Hospital yesterday.

 The glazier was working on the hospital’s new integrated care centre in Frankland Street when the glass fell on him.

 Ambulance Tasmania received the call around 10am, and treated the man for severe lacerations.

A hospital spokeswoman said he also suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries, and was taken to the emergency department in a serious condition.

 By yesterday afternoon his condition had deteriorated, and he was listed as critical but stable.

The hospital’s occupational health and safety officers attended but work continued at the construction site, which is managed by Fairbrother. The company’s general manager Peter Killick said he could not comment on the accident because the worker was a subcontractor from an interstate firm.

Workplace Standards, which is investigating the incident, said the man was employed by Hi Tech Glazing.

http://www.examiner.com.au/news/local/news/general/lgh-worker-critical-as-glass-plunges/2262249.aspx

The worker in this incident is lucky to alive, considering the dangerous nature of glass and the seriousness of the lacerations he received. Unfortunately another worker this year was not as lucky. Earlier this year a teenage worker was killed by a falling excavator bucket on an Australian construction site in Sydney. The incident was made more sad by the fact that the worker was a young apprentice at the beginning of his life when it was cut short by safety breaches on the site.

These two occurrences although tragic highlight the need for stricter adherence to safety measures on site. Falling objects present a very real danger to construction workers and need to be addressed on every construction work site. All employees need to take the necessary precautions to avoid objects falling and hitting other people on site and adjoining areas, such as dwellings, yards, or roads beside the construction site.

Possible falling hazards are objects such as tools and materials, debris and other equipment that has the potential to fall from a workstation or platform or into a trench and potentially injure a worker or passer-by.

Both employers and employees have a responsibility to assess the risk of objects falling and injuring workers. Controls must be used to reduce these risks. Safety controls need to be in accordance with regulation standards.

Possible measures that can be undertaken to minimise the risk of injury from falling objects include :

  • Barricade or hoarding at least 900mm high less than or equal to 15 degrees,
  • hoarding at least 1800mm high greater than 15 degrees and less than or equal to 30 degrees,
  • Another possible solution may be using fully sheeted hoarding at least 1800mm high greater than 30 degrees.
  • If the angle is equal to or more than 75 degrees and not demolition work, erecting work or dismantling formwork you should erect a gantry, close the adjoining area, ?erect a catch platform with vertical sheeting or perimeter screening. 
  • For demolition work or work to erect or dismantle formwork, the principal contractor must close the adjoining area, or screening containment can be erected on the perimeter.

As an employee there are certain basic steps that can be followed to minimise the risk of injury from falling hazards. Some of the basic guidelines to follow are:

  • Use fences and barricades to separate the hazard from other workers and people
  • Use the appropriate signs to warn of the danger of falling objects
  • Install safety nets where necessary to catch falling objects or debris
  • Keep tools in the appropriate place or toolbox and not lying around the ground
  • Ensure materials are properly secured  when moving or lifting

While it may be too late for the workers injured in these instances adherence to safety planning and regulation can assure that other workers on construction sites avoid the same fate.

 

Posted by Steven Asnicar

White Card Online News Update: Scaffolding Incident Results in Death

A tragic incident involving scaffolding has occurred on a site in the UK, which although sad can teach workers and employers an important lesson in scaffolding safety.

The incident occurred when a young worker was dragged over a scaffolding platform guardrail and fell 22m to his death. The workers father has blamed a breach in site safety as the cause of the death. Another worker who was working nearby was also injured in the incident but thankfully escaped with his life. The principal contractor was blamed for the safety breach and received a hefty fine.

BBc.co.uk reported on the incident:

_61266038_chrisheaton

Two construction companies have been fined more than £300,000 after an employee fell to his death when he became entangled in a chain.

Christopher Heaton, 25, from St Helens, was working on flats in Manchester when he was dragged over a scaffolding platform guardrail and fell 22m (72ft).

Shawton Engineering and Amec Group were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court over breaches in safety rules.

Mr Heaton’s father, Len, said his son’s death in 2004 devastated his family.

Falling steel

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted steel-erection company, Shawton Engineering, and the site’s principal contractor, Amec Group, following an investigation into Mr Heaton’s death.

It found Mr Heaton had been using a chain from a scaffolding platform to adjust a steel beam three stories above him, while working on the city centre apartments, when one of the supporting brackets gave way.

He was struck by a falling steel block, became entangled in the operating chain and was dragged over the edge of the scaffolding.

Another worker, who does not want to be named, was also injured.

The investigation concluded the wrong studs had been used to secure the chain and the work had not been properly planned or monitored.

‘Happy go lucky’

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Heaton said: “The loss of our son has completely devastated our lives.

“Chris was a good lad, with a happy go lucky outlook. He loved his job and was looking forward to a career in engineering.

“I used to worry about him all the time, especially when he was out at night. Ironically, I didn’t worry too much when he was at work. I thought he was safe.

“Chris would still be alive today if simple health and safety rules were adhered to and hopefully lessons have been learned to stop this type of incident happening again.”

Neil Jamieson, HSE Principal Inspector for Construction, described the incident as “horrifying” and said: “If either Chris’s employer, Shawton Engineering, or the principal contractor on the site, Amec, had acted differently then his life could have been saved.”

Shawton Engineering Ltd, of Sankey Valley Industrial Estate, Newton le Willows, Merseyside, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work.

The company received a nominal fine of £1 because it had gone into administration.

Amec Group Ltd, of Birchwood Boulevard, Birchwood, Warrington, was found guilty of breaching part of the same act, by failing to ensure the safety of workers, following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

It was handed a fine of £300,000 plus costs of £333,866.

The latest figures show that 50 construction workers were killed while at work in Great Britain in 2010-11 and there were nearly 3,000 major injuries.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-18647955

If this incident has raised alarm bells in your head and you fear for your own safety on site there are a few questions you can ask yourself, from erection to dismantling to help you determine whether scaffolding work is being performed to standard or not.

  • Has a competent formwork designer/manufacturer/supplier designed the system?
  • Has the formwork been properly constructed? Are all the formwork components, support timbers and structural ply, in a serviceable condition?
  • Is the formwork deck safely laid?
  • Is the steel fixing being done safely?
  • Is the formwork structurally adequate?
  • Are the wall and column shutters safely lifted and secured?  During strong winds large shutters need to be secured and not lifted.
  • Are workers prevented from accessing the area beneath the concrete pour?
  • Are concrete pumps being used safely?
  • Are kibbles being used safely? Crane-lifted concrete kibbles normally require a person with a dogging or rigging certificate to operate them and direct their movement.
  • Are concrete vibrators being used safely? Vibrators should be well maintained and fully serviceable.
  • Are the concreters working safely?
  • Is formwork being dismantled safely?

If proper safety is not being followed, employees should report the matter immediately as it poses a risk to all workers on site.

Posted by Steven Asnicar

 

 

Construction Safety: Basic Responsibilities of Employers

As an employer you have a responsibility to workers and contractors to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. Due to the high risk involved with construction work employers need to be especially vigilant to ensure workplace safety procedures are put in place and enforced.

Employers need to make sure workers have adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to work in a safe and healthy manner on a construction site. Employers also need to ensure risks are managed and inexperienced employees are sufficiently supervised in order to reduce the risk involved with construction work.

construction safety white card

The basic duties of employers to ensure safety on the construction site are:

Control risk

As an employer you have to identify risks in order to manage them. The motto “to be forewarned is to be forearmed is especially relevant here, because by identifying risks, you can plan the appropriate procedures to manage these risks and reduce the hazards associated with them.

Construction work in general involves a multitude of potential risks, but each job involves its own risks and these need to be dealt with individually.

If you are not able to eliminate risk, you need to attempt to minimise it. This can be done by:

–        Substituting the hazard with a less dangerous activity. If the hazard cannot be eliminated, it should be isolated from people. Warning signs are particularly useful in identifying areas that workers should be wary of. Fencing is also required to guard certain hazards, such as heavy machinery, forklift operation areas etc.

–        Employers also need to provide protection for employees in the form of personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is any clothing, equipment or substance designed to protect a person from risks of injury or illness. These include ear muffs, ear plugs, goggles, safety helmets, hats, gloves, safety boots etc.

–        As an employer you will also need to review risk controls regularly and keep a record each time it is reviewed.

–        Employees can be helpful in identifying risks as they have first hand experience of potential hazards. Health and safety representatives should also be consulted when identifying hazards and developing control measures.

Prepare a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)

Employers have a responsibility to prepare a SWMS prior to high-risk construction. You also have the responsibility of ensuring that employees and contractors comply with the instructions in the SWMS. The SWMS needs to be reviewed if things on site change. SWMS are developed for activities undertaken by workers onsite which identify the hazards associated with a work activity. SWMS assess the risk of these hazards and outline the preventative measures to be implemented.

It is essential for employees to be involved in the planning and development of the SWMS as it is the primary source of documented OHS guidance for them.

An SWMS is a document that lists the types of high-risk construction work being done, states the health and safety hazards and risks, describes how the risks will be controlled and describes how the risk control measures will be put in place.

Provide Site-specific training

Employees need to be instructed on site specific safety measures and procedures, through a site induction. This will vary depending on the site and its unique circumstances, familiarising workers with OHS rules of the site. Information contained in the SWMS include emergency procedures, identification of health and safety representatives etc.

Provide induction training

The most crucial responsibility of employers is to ensure workers receive the proper construction induction training.

Workers need to have completed their white card induction training before they can work on a construction site in Australia.

By following this step employers can drastically enhance safety on their sites as this course will equip workers with all the necessary safety knowledge, safe working procedures and hazard identification and reaction methods associated with construction work. White card training is affordable and easily attainable online and could mean the difference between life and death on a construction site.

Construction induction training aims to provide construction workers with knowledge and understanding of their rights and responsibilities, common risks and hazards associated with the construction industry, basic risk management procedures and expected behaviour for workers in an emergency situation. Employers must ensure that anyone employed to do construction work has completed the construction induction training before they start work, including apprentices, contractors and regular employees.

Posted by Steven Asnicar

White Card Online Info: Why Choose Construction?

White Card online teaches you how to be safe on a construction site. So why would you want to work in Construction?  There are several things about construction that you might find appealing.  It can be manual labor with your mates, that requires planning and creativity.  There are opportunities to progress career wise with promotions and bonuses.

What Kind Of Life Will I Expect?

A construction worker lives a pretty good life, and often progresses through the ranks to a more highly paid position. The work is challenging and the mates you will gain can become lifelong friends. You need to expect a hard days work every day, and you have to be able to think on the job, while always exercising safety and using your common sense. This is something that the white card online course teaches. You need to be on the ball all the time, as a lapse of judgement could result in the safety of a co-worker being compromised. When you are working with machinery and heavy equipment at heights, this can be very dangerous. But not only this, you need to be alert when constructing so that the building you make is safe and structurally sound.

White Card

 

 

It is important to remember just how necessary construction skills are in the modern world, and not just for constructing buildings, skyscrapers and houses, but also for restoring order when things don’t exactly go to plan. But construction itself ALWAYS has to go to plan. The video below demonstrates how construction of a temporary bridge was necessary in a fast and timely manner and construction skills came in very valuable!

 

 

 

A quarry can be a dangerous place to work, and a lot of accidents happen. This is the kind of thing that the government fights to avoid, and when you get your construction induction card hopefully you can help prevent such things.

Get Your White Card Today!

White Card Online provides more than just an oh&s white card that allows you onto construction sites in Australia. It gives you the ability to learn about safety on construction sites. It doesn’t matter if you are the safest guy on your site, there is always something more that you can learn about being safe.

White Card Course

So get online and get started today, so that you can start applying for jobs, and working on a construction site safely in Australia. Remember, that you aren’t just doing it for your own safety.  Protect NOT ONLY yourself, but also others too.

There are so many reasons to grab your white card online, and the first and foremost of which is that the white card allows you to work on any construction site around Australia, not like the previous blue card (qld). This is necessary for construction work and as such you should take advantage of the opportunities in the industry. The course online is fast and straightforward. It does not take a huge chunk out of your life and you can complete it on and off whenever you want.