Summary

Submitted by sylvia.wong@up… on Fri, 04/09/2021 - 19:03
Sub Topics

The building and construction industry regularly reports a high percentage of work-related injuries and illnesses as a result of the high-risk work construction workers and staff partake. This is evident because in 2015, the construction industry has been designated as a priority industry regarding work health and safety.

In assessing workplace risk, the first thing you should examine is the workplace itself, the construction site. In simple terms, risk management is doing whatever you can to eliminate or to minimise health and safety risks from arising in a workplace. When assessing risks, you should take everything into consideration, from the nature of the hazard to its location, to the people exposed to it.

Before commencing tasks, all foreseeable hazards (for example, falling off a roof, falling objects) and actual risks (e.g. death, serious injury) should be identified and appropriate safety measures put in place (e.g. install guard railing, prevent access under a roof being constructed). Control measures are selected by working through the 6 steps (or levels) of the Risk Control Hierarchy, from 1 to 6. Work sites often use the following structure to provide and maintain a safe work environment. The structure of the pyramid tells any person which control measure is most effective (in almost every situation), and which should be chosen first.

A diagram depicting the hierarchy of control
Level 1: Elimination

Eliminating the risks and hazards they create entirely is the most effective control.

diagram of level 2
Level 2: Substitution

Identify an alternative that does not involve or reduces the risks.

level 3
Level 3: Isolation

Isolate the risk to reduce it impact on people.

level 4
Level 4: Engineering controls

Adapt tools, equipment or engineering procedures to remove or reduce the risk.

level 5
Level 5: Administrative controls

Change work practices to minimise exposure to the risks or reduce the chance of injury.

level 6
Level 6: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Use PPE to protect people from harm.

A workplace inspection report is a document that provides a rating on how safe a construction site is.

A workplace safety plan is a document laying out important details and information on how to promote work health and safety on site and how to manage risks specifically for the project.

Once hazards are identified, you need to identify and rate the risks. This is to determine the type of control measure to be used to mitigate or eliminate the risk. A risk can be determine based on two factors: its consequence and its likelihood.

A risk register is a document where the identified risks, their ratings and other relevant information are properly recorded. It contains a risk matrix for reference of risk rating, and then spaces where all information regarding a recorded risk.

There are several types of inductions and trainings that can be conducted in the building and construction industry. The difference of the induction and training will depend on the audience who will receive them.

Mainly, there are four types:

  • Worker Site-Specific Induction Training
  • Contractor Detailed WHS Induction
  • WHS Induction for Visitors
  • Health and Safety Representative (HSR) Training

Safety audits for the workplace are conducted to check the current status and effectiveness of the overall workplace safety plan. As with monitoring, it compares the current conditions on workplace health and safety found on site against the planned arrangements. Results of the audit will help in revising the safety plan to meet the requirements from government legislation and from the workplace.

 

Below you can access an offline collection of Model Codes of Practice, published on SafeWork Australia's website:

 

Note: For the most up-to-date information, access the model Codes of Practice directly from SafeWork Australia's website.

The following table shows the Australian Standards commonly used for building and construction. It is often worth viewing a summary of the content online to check if it covers what you are expecting and that you have the most recent version.

No. Date Title
AS/NZS ISO 717 2004 Acoustics — Rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements — Airborne sound insulation
AS ISO 717 Part 2 2004 Acoustics — Rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements — Impact sound insulation
AS 1056 Part 1 1991 Storage water heaters — General requirements (incorporating amendments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
AS/NZS 1170 2002 Structural design actions — General principles (incorporating amendments 1, 3 and 4)
AS/NZS 1170 2011 Structural design actions — Wind actions (incorporating amendments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
AS 1191 2002 Acoustics — Method for laboratory measurement of airborne sound transmission insulation of building elements
AS 1273 1991 Unplasticized PVC (UPVC) downpipe and fittings for rainwater
AS 1288 2006 Glass in buildings — Selection and
AS 1289.6.3.3 1997 Methods of testing soils for engineering purposes — Method 6.3.3: Soil strength and consolidation tests — Determination of the penetration resistance of a soil — Perth sand penetrometer test (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 1397 2011 Continuous hot-dip metallic coated steel sheet and strip — Coatings of zinc and zinc alloyed with aluminium and magnesium (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 1428 2009 Design for access and mobility — General requirements for access
AS 1530 1994 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures — Combustibility test for materials
AS 1562 Part 1 2018 Design and installation of sheet roof and wall cladding — Metal
AS 1657 2018 Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders — Design, construction and installation
AS/NZS 1664 1997 Aluminium structures — Limit state design (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 1668 2015 The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings — Fire and smoke control in buildings (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 1670 2018 Fire detection, warning, control and intercom systems
AS/NZS 1680 Part 0 2009 Interior lighting — Safe movement
AS 1684 2010 Residential timber- framed construction
AS 1720 2010 Timber structures
AS 1735 1986 Lifts, escalators and moving walks
AS/NZS 1859 Part 4 2018 Reconstituted wood- based panels
AS 1860 Part 2 2006 Particleboard flooring — Installation (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 1905 Part 1 2015 Components for the protection of openings in fire-resistant walls
AS 1926 Part 1 2012 Swimming pool safety
AS 2047 2014 Windows and external glazed doors in buildings
AS 2049 2002 Roof tiles (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 2050 2018 Installation of roof tiles
AS 2118 2017 Automatic fire sprinkler systems
AS 2159 2009 Piling — Design and installation (incorporating amendment 1)
AS/NZS 2179 Part 1 2014 Specifications for rainwater goods, accessories and fasteners
AS/NZS 2269 Part 2012 Plywood
AS/NZS 2293 Part 1 2018 Emergency lighting and exit signs for buildings
AS/NZS 2327 2017 Composite structures
AS 2419 Part 1 2005 Fire hydrant installations
AS 2441 2005 Installation of fire hose reels (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 2444 2001 Portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets — Selection and location
AS 2665 2001 Smoke/heat venting systems — Design, installation and commissioning
AS/NZS 2699 Part 1 2000 Built-in components for masonry construction
AS 2870 2011 Residential slabs and footings
AS/NZS 2890 Part 6 2009 Parking facilities
AS/NZS 2904 1995 Damp-proof courses and flashings
AS/NZS 2908 Part 1 2000 Cellulose-cement products
AS/NZS 2918 2018 Domestic solid fuel burning appliances
AS/NZS 3013 2005 Electrical installations — Classification of the fire and mechanical performance of wiring system elements
AS/NZS 3500 Part 0 2003 Plumbing and drainage
AS/NZS 3500 2018 Plumbing and drainage
AS 3600 2018 Concrete structures
AS/NZS 3666 2011 Air-handling and water systems of buildings
AS 3700 2018 Masonry structures
AS 3740 2010 Waterproofing of domestic wet areas
AS 3786 2014 Smoke alarms using scattered light, transmitted light or ionization (incorporating amendment 1 and 2)
AS 3959 2018 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas
AS/NZS 4020 2018 Testing of products for use in contact with drinking water
AS 4055 2012 Wind loads for housing (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 4072 2005 Components for the protection of openings in fire-resistant separating elements
AS 4100 1998 Steel structures
AS/NZS 4200 2017 Pliable building membranes and underlays — Materials
AS 4200 Part 2 2017 Pliable building membranes and underlays — Installation requirements (incorporating amendment 1)
AS/NZS 4234 2008 Heated water systems
AS 4254 Part 1 2012 Ductwork for air- handling systems in buildings — Flexible duct
AS 4254 Part 2 2012 Ductwork for air- handling systems in buildings — Rigid duct
AS/NZS 4256 1994 Plastic roof and wall cladding materials — General requirements
AS/NZS 4284 2008 Testing of building facades
AS/NZS 4505 2012 Garage doors and other large access doors (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 4552 2005 Gas fired water heaters for hot water supply and/or central heating
AS 4586 2013 Slip resistance classification of new pedestrian surface materials (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 4597 1999 Installation of roof slates and shingles (Non- interlocking type)
AS/NZS 4600 2018 Cold-formed steel structures
AS 4654 Part 1 2012 Waterproofing membranes for external above-ground use — Materials
AS 4654 Part 2 2012 Waterproofing membranes for external above-ground use — Design and installation
AS 4678 2002 Earth-retaining structures
AS 4773 Part 1 2015 Masonry in small buildings — Design (incorporating amendment 1)
AS/NZS 4859 2018 Thermal insulation materials for buildings
AS 5113 2016 Classification of external walls of buildings based on reaction-to-fire performance (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 5146 Part 1 2015 Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete — Structures (incorporating amendment 1)
AS 5216 2018 Design of post-installed and cast-in fastenings in concrete
AS 5637 Part 1 2015 Determination of fire hazard properties — Wall and ceiling linings
AS ISO 9239 Part 1 2003 Reaction to fire tests for floorings — Determination of the burning behaviour using a radiant heat source

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A construction worker using an angle grinder to cut a pipe on a construction site
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