Joint safety blitz targets border construction sites

SafeWork NSW and WorkSafe Victoria will visit construction sites in Mildura and Buronga as part of the ongoing Cross Border Construction Program to help employers and tradies comply with workplace health and safety laws.

Inspectors will focus on falls from height risks, silica dust exposure and other safety hazards during a week-long safety blitz scheduled for 22 to 26 August.

WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety Narelle Beer said the event aims to raise awareness about the health risks of crystalline silica dust.

“While many in the industry would be aware of the risks when working with engineered stone, fewer would know that unsafe cutting or crushing of products such as ceramic tiles, concrete, bricks and marble can also expose workers to dangerous crystalline silica dust,” Dr Beer said.

Six Victorian workers have died from silica-related illness, and the state’s workplace safety regulator has accepted 88 workers’ compensation claims since the start of 2021.

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