AUGUST is Tradies National Health Month.

We have a lot of tradies in our community and keeping them safe at work is important. Over the next few weeks I will be discussing safety in the construction industry to help raise awareness.

First, let’s understand what construction work is. According to Safe Work Australia, construction work can be defined as “any work carried out in connection with the construction, alteration, maintenance, conversion, fitting out, commissioning, renovation, repair, refurbishment, demolition, decommissioning or the dismantling of a structure, or preparation of a building site”. In the Work Health & Safety Act 2011 (“WHS”), “demolition” includes “deconstruction”.

There are many steps to construction work processes. If you are a “person conducting a business or undertaking” (“PCBU”), there are both specific and general duties under the WHS that you must comply with, including compliance with the Regulation and Codes of Practice.

There are a number of construction related Codes of Practice in place in Queensland. Following amendment to the WHS that came into effect on July 1, 2018, it is a requirement under section 26A of the WHS that a PCBU must comply with approved Codes or else manage hazards and risks to a standard “equivalent to or higher” than the standard provided for in the relevant Code.

Do you know what codes have been approved in Queensland? No? Email me directly for a list.

Until next week – keep our tradies safe and keep it legal!

Katie Caldow
kcaldow@walkerpender.com.au

*The legal information in this article is of a general nature only and not intended to be legal advice to rely upon.