THE NATIONAL

CONSTRUCTION
STANDARD – WHAT
WILL IT MEAN?

Presented by: Ian Markos, Mary Nizamis

and Robin Scott
 AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL OHS
STRATEGY 2002 - 2012

NATIONAL
NATIONALVISION VISION
ƒ Click
Australian
to add
Australianworkplaces
text free
workplaces freefrom
fromdeath,
death,injury
injuryand
anddisease
disease

ƒ To add/duplicate this page, go to ‘Common

Tasks’ button, then ‘New Slide’
NATIONAL
NATIONALTARGETS TARGETS
Sustain
Sustainaasignificant,
significant,continual
continualreduction
reductionin
inthe
theincidence
incidenceof
of
work-related
work-relatedfatalities
fatalitieswith
withaareduction
reductionof
ofat
atleast
least20%
20%by
by30
30
June
June2012
2012(and
(andwith
withaareduction
reductionofof10%
10%being
beingachieved
achievedby
by30
30
June
June2007).
2007).

Reduce
Reducethe
theincidence
incidenceofofworkplace
workplaceinjury
injuryby
byat
atleast
least40%
40%by
by
30
30June
June2012
2012(with
(withaareduction
reductionof
of20%
20%being
beingachieved
achievedby by30
30
June
June2007).
2007).

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NATIONAL OHS STRATEGY
2002 - 2012
NATIONAL PRIORITIES
1. Reduce high incidence/severity risks

2. Improve the capacity of business

operators and workers to manage OHS
effectively

3. Prevent occupational disease more

effectively

4. Eliminate hazards at the design stage

5. Strengthen the capacity of Government

to influence OHS outcomes
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REDUCE HIGH
INCIDENCE/SEVERITY
RISKS

ƒ Focus prevention activities on

the nationally agreed high risk
sectors:
ƒ Construction
ƒ Transport
ƒ Health & Community
Services
ƒ High Risk Plant

6
 WHY CONSTRUCTION?
ƒ Construction is one of the highest risk
industries
ƒ Incidence of workplace accidents more
than twice the national average
ƒ Injury rate more than one and a half times
the national average
ƒ Standard created to reduce workplace
death and injury
ƒ Royal Commission recommended
uniform national OHS

7
 HOW DID THE STANDARD
COME ABOUT?
ƒ November 2003 WRMC agreed NOHSC
would develop national material for the
construction industry
ƒ Included national construction standard and
codes of practice for:
ƒ the prevention of falls from heights,
ƒ Tilt-up and Precast concrete,
ƒ OHS induction training for construction
work.
ƒ Draft was prepared by tripartite
Construction Reference Group
ƒ Public comment was sought from industry
ƒ Standard declared 27 April 2005 by NOHSC
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NATIONAL STANDARD FOR
CONSTRUCTION WORK
ƒ Aims to protect the persons from hazards
associated with construction work
ƒ Assigns responsibilities to individuals
ƒ Identify hazards and either eliminate or
minimise risks

9
WHO DOES THE STANDARD
APPLY TO?

ƒ Applies to:
ƒ clients, designers,
ƒ persons with control of a construction
project or work,
ƒ Persons engaged to undertake
construction work and
ƒ construction sites

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OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES

ƒ To protect persons from hazards

associated with construction work:
ƒ To be achieved through
ƒ Hazard identification,risk assessment
and risk elimination or risk
minimisation
ƒ Providing information, consultation,
planning, documentation, training and
other measures to ensure OHS

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DEFINITION OF CONSTRUCTION WORK
DEFINITION OF CONSTRUCTION
WORK
ƒ Any work on or in the vicinity of a
construction site carried out in connection
with the construction, alteration, conversion,
fitting-out, commissioning, renovation, repair,
maintenance, de-commissioning, demolition
or dismantling of any structure, and includes
ƒ Demolition and dismantling of structure and
removal of demolition product and waste
ƒ Assembly/disassembly of pre-fabricated elements
ƒ Work in connection of excavation, landscaping site
preparation
ƒ Work referred to in definition carried out under
water

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HIGH RISK CONSTRUCTION WORK

Work on
Risk of falling 2m or more
telecommunications towers
Disturbing/removing
Demolition work
asbestos
Structural alteration with
Work in confined space
temporary support
Excavation >1.5m Construction of tunnels
Use of explosives Work on gas lines
Work on chemical, fuel or
Tilt-up/pre-cast work
refrigerant lines
Work near energised
Work on or near roadways
installations
Work where movement of Work over or near water and
powered mobile plant diving
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MANAGING SAFETY IN THE
WORKPLACE

ƒ Responsibility of Clients
ƒ Client must consult with the designer
to ensure construction work
associated with the design can be
carried out without any risk to persons
doing the work
ƒ Client must consult with person with
control of construction project

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MANAGING SAFETY IN THE
WORKPLACE
ƒ Responsibility of Designers
ƒ hazards identified before
commencement of work
ƒ risks to health and safety are
eliminated or where not practicable
minimised
ƒ report to the client in writing the health
and safety aspects of the design
ƒ detail of report commensurate with
degree of risk identified

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MANAGING SAFETY IN THE
WORKPLACE
ƒ Responsibilities of persons with control:
ƒ responsible for health and safety of
any person affected by the
construction work
ƒ ensure information relating to hazard
identification, risk assessment and
control is compiled and recorded
ƒ an OHS management plan (where
required) includes information of
hazard id, risk assessment
ƒ records and OHS management plans
are kept until completion of the project
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ƒ Responsibilities of persons with control:
ƒ ensure hazards are identified
ƒ hazards arising from:
ƒ The construction site
ƒ Design relating to the project
ƒ Working at height
ƒ Hazardous substances
ƒ Presence of asbestos
ƒ Systems of work
ƒ Plant
ƒ Manual handling
ƒ Layout and condition of the
construction site
ƒ Physical working environment
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ƒ Responsibilities of persons with control:
ƒ of a construction project must ensure
there are effective procedures to identify
and record hazards:
ƒ Prior to commencement of work
ƒ Before & during installation, erection,
commissioning and alteration of plant
ƒ Before changes to systems of work
ƒ While work is being carried out
ƒ to assess risks that may arise from
construction work
ƒ to control risks
ƒ to review hazard identification, risk
assessment and control measures
ƒ to provide information, instruction and
training
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MANAGING SAFETY IN THE
WORKPLACE

ƒ Responsibility of persons engaged to

undertake construction work:
ƒ Ensure that no other person is put at
risk from the work
ƒ Undertake their work in accordance
with information, direction,instruction
and training with which they have been
provided

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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND
SAFETY MANAGEMENT PLANS

ƒ Person with control of a construction

project where 5 or more persons are
working (or likely to be working
simultaneously) must ensure:
ƒ a site specific OHS management plan
is prepared before work commences
ƒ the plan must be monitored,
maintained and kept up to date during
the course of the work

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ƒ Plan must include (but not inclusive):
ƒ Statement of responsibilities,
including names of people with
responsibilities
ƒ Details of arrangements to ensure
compliance with OHS induction
training requirements
ƒ Hazard identification, risk
assessment and control information
for all work activities
ƒ Safe work method statements for
high risk work
ƒ Copy of plan is available at all times

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SAFE WORK METHOD
STATEMENTS
ƒ Apply to any construction site where high-risk
work is undertaken
ƒ Person in control of a construction project must
ensure:
ƒ that a statement is provided by each person in
control of high risk work before work begins
ƒ All safe work methods are kept up to date and
reviewed whenever there is change
ƒ When a person is not complying with the
statement, they are directed to stop the work
immediately
ƒ If no other person is responsible for writing a
statement then the person with control of the
project does so

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OHS TRAINING

ƒ Applies to persons with control of

construction projects, construction work
and undertaking construction work.
Exception:
ƒ Visitors to construction site
accompanied by person who has
received OHS induction training
ƒ Persons temporarily at a construction
site where risk assessment indicates
risks can be controlled through other
means

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 OHS TRAINING

ƒ must not direct or allow a person to carry

out work unless OHS induction training
carried out
ƒ Person must not undertake construction
work until they have completed OHS
induction training
ƒ maintain records for reasonable after the
completion of the project

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GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
PROVISIONS
ƒ Existing Services
ƒ Ensure existing services at the
construction site are identified and
risks assessed by:
ƒ Type of existing services
ƒ Location and whether underground,
overhead or contained within
structure
ƒ Extent of services
ƒ Risks services present
ƒ Traffic Control
ƒ Pedestrian, traffic or plant movements
at or near a construction site must be
safely managed to eliminate or control
risks
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 GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
PROVISIONS

ƒ Lighting
ƒ Ensure the level of lighting where work
is being performed or required to pass
through does not present risks

ƒ Access/Egress
ƒ All persons are provided safe access
and egress from all places where
required to work or pass

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ƒ Public Access
ƒ Ensure members of public are not
exposed to health and safety risks
arising from the construction work
ƒ Adequate perimeter fencing is installed
on the construction site before work
commences and maintained for the
period of work
ƒ Signs placed on each site, names and
contact details of persons with control,
including after hours contact number

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ƒ Emergency Procedures
ƒ All workers in the event of danger are
able to evacuate all work areas quickly
ƒ Specific emergency exits, routes and
plans are displayed
ƒ Rescue arrangements for injured
persons are in place
ƒ Emergency evacuation procedures are
practised regularly where indicated by
risk assessment

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ƒ First-aid and medical attention
ƒ First aid to be accessible
ƒ provision of trained personnel must be
adequate for initial treatment
ƒ Electricity Supply
ƒ Electrical installations,equipment and
apparatus are installed, protected,
used , maintained and tested to
eliminate risk of electric shock
ƒ Housekeeping
ƒ Site must be kept orderly and tidy
ƒ Access ways kept clear and non-
slippery
ƒ Safe systems for collecting,storing and
disposing of waste materials
ƒ Plant secured when not in use
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ƒ Exposure to the elements
ƒ Ensure safety of persons where any
risk of exposure to adverse weather
conditions
ƒ Amenities
ƒ Ensure persons have access to
amenities for their welfare and
personal hygiene

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TRANSITIONAL PERIODS

ƒ 2 year transitional period for commercial

and civil construction sectors
ƒ 3 year transitional period for housing
sector

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WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR
THE INDUSTRY

ƒ Standard to be incorporated into SA’s

OHS&W Regulations, 1995
ƒ After transitional period expires industry
must comply with requirements of the
National Standard
ƒ Industry will be advised when this will
occur

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QUESTIONS?

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