WA's mid-west shows good safety standards

22 June 2009

WA's mid-west has good overall standards in occupational safety and health
management.

A WorkSafe inspection program of construction sites in Western
Australia's mid-west has revealed good overall standards in occupational
safety and health management.

Three WorkSafe inspectors conducted 69 inspections in the mid-west area,
including Geraldton and surrounding areas, over the week commencing June 8,
2009.

Chris Kirwin, WorkSafe director of construction, regional and primary industries,
said the inspection campaign did find some areas of concern, but the standard
of safety on building sites was generally good.

"Inspectors issued a total of 27 improvement notices, seven prohibition notices
and some verbal directions in the course of the 69 inspections, and two areas
of concern emerged.

"Edge protection to prevent falls from heights was the first. "Falls are one
of the most significant causes of workplace death in the construction industry,
and five Western Australian workers have died in less than two years as a
result of falls.

A further 1,260 are injured each year," Kirwin said.The other area of concern
was the testing and tagging of electrical equipment on construction sites.

During the inspection campaign inspectors checked that workers had
undergone the compulsory Construction Safety Awareness Training and
held current and valid blue cards, and that Safe Work Method Statements
were in place for high risk construction work.


WCV's: Good safety standards, "Bollocks" out of 69 Inspections, 27
improvement notcies were issued? Thats roughly 30 odd % of employers
were not compliant, so by my calculations WA does not have good safety
standards in their construction industry.

Typical of worksafe, bullshitting the nation!