Jun 14th 2024 |
SafeWork SA launches campaign to prevent construction falls
SafeWork SA has launched an awareness campaign in response to a concerning increase in severe injuries resulting from falls from height, in order to protect workers on site. This SafeWork SA compliance campaign targets construction falls across multiple sectors where fall hazards remain hazardous to daily operations.
The occupational health and safety watchdog has recently disclosed that there has been a notable surge of 36 percent in the instances of severe workplace injuries caused by falling from heights in 2023. This surge is noticeable across every industry when compared with the previous year, and news of the increase has prompted swift regulatory action.
Construction Workers Bear the Greatest Risk
SafeWork SA's 2023 Health and Safety Snapshot of the construction industry revealed that over half of the 105 serious workplace fall injuries in 2023 were suffered by construction workers, a rate five times higher than any other sector. Falls from height, along with unsafe plant operation, continue posing significant risk to those working at elevation.
Poorly maintained plant, inadequate edge protection and unstable scaffolding all contribute to hazardous conditions on site. Where plant equipment lacks proper inspection, risk of injury climbs sharply, reinforcing why SafeWork SA is launching further compliance measures alongside its SafeWork campaign aimed at preventing fall from height injuries in construction.
Non-Compliance Findings Across Industries
According to the snapshot, in 2023 SafeWork SA found 399 instances of non-compliance across various industries, with construction making up 89 percent of cases. Many breaches involved plant that failed to meet required health and safety standards, alongside gaps in fall-prevention resources allocated to frontline teams.
SafeWork SA has wrapped up previous compliance campaigns targeting similar risk factors, yet this latest data confirms that ongoing vigilance around plant maintenance, worker training and site resources remains essential for reducing preventable injuries.
What This Means for Safety Professionals
Employers should treat this news as a clear signal to reassess fall-prevention resources, inspect plant regularly and reinforce health and safety obligations under current legislation. Reducing risk requires consistent commitment, not a single awareness campaign.
- Review plant inspection schedules to identify hazardous equipment before incidents occur
- Strengthen fall-prevention training for workers operating at height
- Align site practices with the construction management plans and falls management plans available through SafetyDocs
- Use a falls prevention checklist to verify compliance before work begins
- Prepare a falls emergency rescue plan for rapid response if an incident occurs
Businesses seeking a structured approach can also reference the WHSMP Construction Safety Plan to strengthen documented health and safety practices on site.
For further news updates, readers can also review coverage of when SafeWork SA wraps up its falls awareness campaign, offering useful context on how compliance campaigns evolve over time.
Detailed information can be found here.
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