Hierarchy of control: fix a hazard, do not just warn about it
A warning does not change a hazard. This guide sets out how to rank controls from the most effective to the least, and how to choose and record them on a residential job.
12 min read
Topic
Site Safety
Articles and news about Site Safety for Australian builders.
Hierarchy of control: fix a hazard, do not just warn about it
A warning does not change a hazard. This guide sets out how to rank controls from the most effective to the least, and how to choose and record them on a residential job.
12 min read
The daily pre-start walk: what a builder checks before crews arrive
The pre-start walk is the one check that looks at the site as it is this morning, not as the plan says it should be. Here is what to look at and how to record it.
11 min read
Fitness for work and a drug and alcohol policy for crews
A worker who arrives unfit to work puts everyone within reach at risk. A written policy and a consistent supervisor response turn a difficult morning into a managed one.
11 min read
Lighting a residential site for early starts and dark finishes
Winter starts and short afternoons put a lot of building work into the dark, and a site that is badly lit is a site where people fall, miss a cut and damage the work.
11 min read
Housekeeping and slips on house sites: a practical routine
Most house site injuries are trips, slips and stacks that were never meant to stay where they were put. A routine that owns the walkways prevents most of them.
12 min read
Temporary bracing and propping during construction works
Temporary supports hold a building up while you change it, and much of the trouble on a residential site happens while they are in place. Here is how to decide what needs support, when an engineer is needed and when it is safe to take a prop away.
11 min read
Working safely near water on flood-prone house sites
A flood-prone block turns ordinary tasks into drowning, collapse and electrical risks. This article sets out how to plan the work, control the access and decide when to stop before the water arrives.
12 min read
Mould clean-up in renovations: protecting your crew
Most mould jobs are caught after the crew has already started pulling material down. This is how to contain the room, protect the people in it and leave the house clean.
12 min read
Lead paint in older homes: safe work practices for renovation builders
Lead paint can turn a routine renovation into a health risk for the crew and the occupants. This guide covers testing, dust control, keeping lead separate from other hazards and disposing of the waste.
11 min read
Lead paint in renovations: what disturbance means for your crew
Old paint in an older home can release lead dust the moment it is scraped, sanded or cut. Plan the testing, the controls, the cleaning and the waste before the first tool comes out.
11 min read
Checking slings, shackles and lifting gear before use
Most rigging failures begin as a defect that someone saw and chose to ignore. This article sets out the pre-use check for slings, shackles and hooks, the defects that mean removal from service, and the register that proves the gear was checked.
11 min read
Planning a crane lift on a residential site
A single crane pick on a house site can go wrong in seconds. This guide covers planning and supervising one lift: the lift plan, the exclusion zone, the signaller and the weather.
12 min read