Unsafe construction sites throughout Sydney

Electrical shock while forming concrete slab. 

A worker was electrocuted while preparing to form up a concrete slab located next to an existing structure.

The investigation into the incident is still underway; however initial enquiries indicate a sledgehammer was being used to drive a star picket into the ground to support the wooden framework. The star picket appears to have made contact with an energised electric cable located underground, giving the worker an electric shock.

The findings of the May 2021 incident have yet to be confirmed as investigations continue.

More on this safety issue can be found on the WorkSafe QLD website.

Unsafe construction sites throughout Sydney. 

The safety blitz completed by SafeWork NSW on construction sites in northern Sydney and the Sutherland shire has exposed 69 out of the 98 sites visited have working at heights risks and/or unsafe practices.

23 SafeWork inspectors visited construction sites and issued 115 notices and five fines relating to unsafe workplaces during June.

SafeWork Executive Director, Tony Williams, said ‘To have 33 notices and three fines worth $3,600 each issued in relation to fall safety in across northern Sydney is alarming. But when we look at Sutherland there were 65 notices issued relating to heights and falls risks it shows that even the most simple safety practices – like protecting people from an edge – are being ignored.’

Businesses who place workers lives at risk through inadequate protection from falls from heights can incur on-the-spot fines of $3,600 for corporations and $720 for individuals.

Original article found on SafeWork NSW website.