SafeWork NSW Executive Director, Tony Williams, has announced that inspectors will be visiting construction sites state-wide throughout January and February 2022, to talk with principal contractors and site supervisors about silica dust and mental health risks.
What This Means:
Silica Dust
Principal contractors and builders must provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes having safe systems of work and the correct safety equipment, such as water or on-tool dust capture when working with products/materials containing silica. Ensuring these systems are in place and regularly assessed for areas of improvement is vital and what inspectors will be looking for.
Mental Illness
Much like worksite physical safety practices, appropriate systems must be in place to identify, consult and manage mental illness in the construction workplace. Although not all mental illnesses are emergent in the workspace, these measures are in place to ensure the safest environment for all employees and work to improve the mental fitness of construction workers. This is an integral componet to overall workplae saftey which inspectors will be eager to highlight.
Get The Facts And Be Prepared
If you would like to find out more about what you can do to reduce these risks on your site, take a look at the latest building and construction industry safety page on the SafeWork NSW website. Make sure you're ready!
