CONCERNS about safety at housing construction sites have sparked a new WorkSafe campaign.
An online quiz is designed to encourage construction companies and tradespeople to think about their safety when building houses.
WorkSafe said Wyndham’s rapid growth meant safety at housing sites was a major risk factor.
Wyndham inspector Steve Thornly said more than 1000 people statewide were seriously injured on housing construction sites last year.
He said it was not known how many of those accidents happened in Wyndham, but inspectors regularly visited the area to check work sites were safe.
Mr Thornly hopes the campaign will remind construction companies to prepare a safe environment for tradies to work in. “What we want is for people to stop, talk, take a step back and think about safety,” he said.
“There is only so many WorkSafe inspectors and we need to get people talking and thinking about safety.”
Most injuries to tradespeople working on housing construction sites were caused by falls and faulty electrical equipment, Mr Thornly said.
It was also important that construction managers provided areas for rubbish and excess materials. Scaffolding around roofs was also compulsory.
Mr Thornly urged tradespeople to make sure electrical equipment had been tagged and tested to prevent injury.
Wyndham-based builder Guymer Lynnch’s construction manager Shane Bourke said it was vital companies and tradies took responsibility for site safety.
“We don’t want anyone getting hurt and the workers are obliged to ensure they are working safely.”
Details: toptradie.com.au.
