Construction OH&S
Who is Responsible for On - site Safety?
Construction site safety in Melbourne is driven by government requirements, codes of practice, training and experience. Safety is an ongoing priority and procedures have developed over the years as construction working methods have developed. People who are very experienced may feel that they are able to cope on a daily basis without full safety procedures in place. We are however, not designing safety procedures around the most experienced personnel but around all who may step onto site. We must keep all persons safe and sometimes for the most experienced ‘familiarity breeds contempt’.
Carrot and Stick
The construction industry and the government have adopted a carrot and stick approach. They encourage safe practices in all workplaces and applaud employers who implement procedures and maintain a safe workplace. The stick comes into play when safety procedures are not followed or accidents occur. Unfortunately, in the real world breaches of safety standards may only come to the attention of authorities through investigations following a serious incident. At that point the full weight of the safety acts (the law) is brought down and consequences can occur to both individual post holders and corporate entities. Blame can be contagious and many parties who were perhaps blissfully unaware of their responsibilities come into the firing line.
Will written procedures exonerate you if an incident occurs?
No. This is a false comfort and a misconception.
If you write down a procedure and perhaps put up a sign this does not end your responsibility. You must ensure as far as you are able that only safe working methods are used and everyone is kept safe at work. After an on-site incident everything will be vigorously examined and blame will be apportioned. A simple sign or a statement of intent may be deemed insufficient. The defence that you handed someone a safety document will not cut it!
Develop your project around safe working practices and by working with Fitzpatrick’s you have a team member you can rely on.
Who is responsible?
Everyone is Responsible
