EVENTS

Up Coming Events Around Canberra

Construction Breakfast 13 March 2020

WorkSafe ACT will be conducting it’s first construction breakfast for 2020 on Friday, 13 March 2019.
The presenters for the breakfast are currently being finalised, further details of the theme and guest speakers will be circulated in the next week.
Details of the breakfast are as follows:
Date: Friday, 13 March 2020
Time: 7.30am – 9.00am
Venue: Majura Room, Ainslie Football Club, 52 Wakefield Avenue
To register online for the breakfast click here, to avoid disappointment we encourage you to register early as places are limited and registration fills up quickly.

INCIDENTS

On Monday 2 December 2019 an electrician was working on a switch board at Kambah Fire Station to fault find a lighting fault which required the cycling of a mechanical circuit breaker (CB). The electrician observed smoke emanating from the switch board and immediately alerted the fire service, the fire was subsequently extinguished.
WorkSafe ACT has confirmed the work was being undertaken in compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
It was identified that the CB is one of a range of Eaton Quicklag ELQ-TW earth leakage circuit breakers (RCBOs) subject to a 2017 safety product recall by the suppliers due to risk of electrical fire.
WorkSafe ACT issued a safety product recall alert to the community.
INDENTIFICATION
The affected models can be identified by a green test button as shown in this image and are listed in the table. Models without a test button or with a white or an orange test button are not impacted by this recall.
The affected models were supplied nationally from 1 April 2004 to 15 December 2016. The RCBO has a serial number on the side from which the date of manufacture can be determined.

6 February 2020

Working at Heights – Safety Alert
The tragic death of a 60 year old worker occurred this week, after falling from the second storey of a residential construction site in Denman Prospect. This is the second death of a worker on a residential construction site in Denman Prospect in less than a month.

The ACT Work Safety Commissioner has issued a Working at Heights safety alert (see Link) as a timely reminder to workers of the precautions to take to reduce the risk of falls from heights occurring on sites.

Greg Jones
ACT Work Safety Commissioner

Links associated…Precast Concrete Panel Audit Program

Silica Dust Program Understanding Safety Systems

Safe Work Method Statement Seminars Next on 17 March

January 2020
Precast Concrete Panel Audit Program
Silica Dust Program
Understanding Safety Systems
Safe Work Method Statement Seminars
Message from the ACT Work Safety Commissioner
Welcome to the first edition of the 2020 Construction Industry Newsletter! I hope that everyone had a safe Christmas and New Year period and you are all gearing up for the coming year – I think it is going to be an interesting one.
The recent bushfire events, unprecedented poor air quality and extreme heat impacting the ACT is significantly affecting individual’s physical and mental wellbeing.
I encourage all employers to undertake risk assessments and implement appropriate mitigation strategies to minimise the impact of the current heat and smoke conditions particularly for those working outdoors. Employers should eliminate strenuous or outdoor work where possible (including postponing or re-scheduling).
WorkSafe ACT has recently published guidance material on its website to how to minimise smoke exposure for workers and managing extreme heat. A Daily Outdoor Air Quality Risk Assessment guidance note has also been developed to assist to identify, risk assess and mitigate (in conjunction with your workers) the hazard exposure associated with poor air quality and/or heat and their impacts prior to commencing outdoor work activities. These risk assessments and mitigation strategies should be reviewed and revised as necessary on a regular basis, and certainly when conditions change.
Last weekend a worker tragically died on a residential construction site in Denman Prospect when he was heavily impacted by falling tiles. WorkSafe ACT is working closely with ACT Policing to investigate the incident. A search warrant was executed at the registered company business address of a company director in Denman Prospect in the early hours of Wednesday 15 January 2020 with the assistance of the AFP and Australian Border Force. The purpose of the warrant was to obtain electronic and physical company records that would assist in the investigation.
I would like to remind all employers and workers to carefully plan all work activities, no matter how simple or familiar they may be, and to follow all work and safety rules. Remember to look after yourself and your colleagues by taking regular breaks and ask for help if you need it.
If you are struggling with recent events or life in general, please call 13 11 14 or visit the Lifeline website www.lifeline.org.au.
I look forward to greater engagement with you as the year progresses.

Think Safe. Work Safe. Go Home Safe.

Greg Jones
ACT Work Safety Commissioner

Link to Page: Check a licence – SafeWork NSW

Earth Leakage, Circuit Breaker - Fire

We invite you to join in the day and come along and be involved on the day!

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