Workplace Health and Safety

Workplace Health and Safety Student Program

Building and Construction Industry (Continued)

Prevention of Falls

Falls in the workplace cause a large number of occupational injuries in the Building and Construction Industry.

Many falls in the workplace have involved young workers aged less than 25 years, and could have been prevented with training and safe work practices.

A fall can cause injury to the arms, legs, back, neck or head. Neck and head injuries can cause damage to the spinal cord and nervous system. Many workers have suffered permanent disabling injuries or death as a result of a fall.

Falls occur in many different workplaces and can be grouped into the following three categories:

falls from height (a fall from one level to another);
falls into a depth (falling into a hole); and
slips, trips and falls (falls on the same level).

Factors that can cause a fall include when:

there is a sudden acceleration or deceleration;
moving from one surface to another;
the surface is not capable of supporting a load;
openings or holes are not identified or protected;
open edges are not protected;
levels change;
hand grip is lost;
surfaces are slippery (e.g. surfaces are wet, polished or oily);
footwear is unsuitable;
equipment, tools, rubbish are causing obstructions in work areas;
ladders are used incorrectly;
clothing is caught;
surfaces move;
lighting is unsatisfactory;
weather conditions are bad ( e.g. heavy rain or wind is present);
struck by a moving or falling object; or
fall arrest systems and devices are not provided or are used incorrectly.

Other factors may have a detrimental effect on a person's behaviour or performance (e.g. exposure to chemicals or electricity) that may increase the risk of a fall.

Falls from height

Accident reports show that a fall from height often occurs when a person is working on:

roofs and support beams;
climbing equipment that is incorrectly set up or erected (ladders, stairs);
supporting equipment that is incorrectly set up or erected (scaffolds, ramps);
trucks; and
cherry pickers.

Safe systems of work which reduce the risk of falls from height in the workplace include:

the use of building maintenance units;
the use of correctly erected scaffolding or another type of safe working platform;
the use of correctly erected and secured ladders; and
the use of anti-fall equipment (such as safety harnesses) which complies with Australian Standards;

Roof work

Many falls from and through roofs occur during maintenance, renovation and cleaning work.

Roof edges should be guarded to prevent falls due to over-balancing.

Some materials used on roofs can become fragile or brittle after exposure to weather. Serious injuries and fatalities have occurred when workers have fallen through roofs made of brittle materials. Examples of these materials include asbestos cement sheets, translucent plastic sheets, and glass skylights.

You must not stand on or walk across a roof made of fragile materials.

Work on fragile material must be carried out from a scaffold or other working platform. This must be done even if mesh has been installed. To ensure people are aware of the hazard, the following notice should be displayed:

DANGER FRAGILE ROOFING USE WORKING PLATFORM

The use of protective wire mesh is mandatory for roofs made of brittle materials and it is also recommended during the construction of metal roofs. It protects workers against falls during roof construction and provides protection for future work activities on the roof. Prior to working on brittle roofs, the condition of the wire mesh and sheeting needs to be examined.

Steel mesh, harnesses, nets and guard rails will restrain a fall.

Scaffolding

Erectors and installers of scaffolds have legal responsibilities under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulations. They are required to ensure that it is safe, and therefore not a risk if it is used according to safety instructions.

Mobile scaffolds are often hired and used by finishing trades people such as painters and plasterers who may have limited knowledge of scaffolds. Mobile scaffolds are easy to erect, use and dismantle, but are safe only if erected by a competent person.

Adequate supervision should be provided on any site to ensure that stable scaffolding is erected with proper guard rails.

Guard rails can prevent falls from a working platform.

Common problems occur with mobile scaffolding when:

there is a lack of training or supervision and safety instructions in erecting or using a scaffold;
riding on a mobile scaffold while it is being moved;
wheels are not locked when the scaffold is stationary; or
access ladders are not placed on the inside of the scaffold.

Mobile scaffolds can be easily overturned because they are so light. Climbing on the outside of a mobile scaffold can cause it to overturn.

Instructions on the safe assembly of a mobile scaffold are freely available from the supplier. These instructions are also displayed on most mobile scaffolds as a sticker. It is very important that these instructions are followed.

Falls into a depth

Construction and excavation sites often have trenches or holes which are hazards if left unprotected. Falls into lift shafts, sewers, wells, tanks and stairwells are examples of falls into a depth.

Wire mesh and covers protect people from falling down holes or shafts at work sites. Guard rails are also used on open edges such as stairwells.

Signs should be used to warn anyone on the site that there is a hole underneath, and that the cover should not be removed. Covers should be securely fixed and marked in clear lettering: DO NOT REMOVE - HOLE UNDERNEATH

Slips and trips
Slippery and uneven floors in the workplace are a serious hazard and can result in far more serious accidents than simply tripping or falling over.

Factors that can increase the risk of slips and trips in the Building and Construction Industry are:

uneven floor surfaces;
slippery surfaces;
type of floor, e.g. wood, concrete, ceramic, vinyl or other; and
surface texture of the floor.

Safe system of work

Where there is a risk of an employee falling, employers are required to provide protection by:

a safe system of work such as anti-fall equipment and devices;
a safe means of entering and leaving the area in which employees are required to work, such as a roof space;
guard rails, covers, fender boards or other forms of safeguarding; and
personal protective equipment.

Safe work procedures will vary between workplaces and should be provided by the employer.

Electrical Safety

Electric shock occurs when a person becomes part of an electrical circuit and the current flows through their body. A fatal shock is called electrocution.

The most common cause of electrocution in the workplace is contact with overhead wires. This is because people can misjudge heights and distances between the ground and overhead wires when carrying equipment like poles and ladders, or operating equipment with height extension such as cranes.

Accidents and deaths can also result from equipment becoming "live" due to electrical faults, lack of maintenance or short circuit.

Electrical accidents are most often caused by a combination of factors such as:

a lack of training;
a lack of supervision;
inadequate work practices;
poorly maintained equipment or installation;
unauthorised electrical repairs; and
a hazardous workplace environment.

Precautions must be taken to prevent electrical accidents in the Building and Construction Industry.