Control of major risks on civil construction sites

This campaign has been developed to target construction activities that are a consistent source of serious injuries and fatalities. The campaign will include a compliance component (to enforce existing standards) and an information gathering component (to report back to industry and inform future campaigns).

The specific aims of the campaign are to:

increase compliance on civil construction sites around major risks, including:
- worker interaction with mobile plant
- traffic management
- construction housekeeping
identify common failures in safety management systems on construction sites
evaluate the effectiveness of work method statements as a means of managing high risk activities.

The campaign will be implemented state-wide with inspectors expecting to carry out up to 800 assessments.

Campaign assessment information

These documents will be used by inspectors during the campaign. In preparation for the campaign, principal contractors, managers and supervisors should review the assessment tool and guidance information.

Assessment tool: control of major risks on civil construction sites (PDF, 83 kB)
Campaign guidance information: control of major risks on civil construction sites (PDF, 83 kB)

For more information

Additional information for principal contractors, managers, supervisors and workers is provided below.

Additional checklists

Compliance checklists have been prepared by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to help obligation holders understand and apply the legislative requirements. These checklists are an excellent tool that can assist principal contractors, managers, and supervisors to prepare for the campaign.

Checklist for construction workplaces: working around mobile plant (PDF, 104 kB)
Checklist for construction workplaces: housekeeping issues (PDF, 100kB)

Guidance information

There is a range of information available on the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website to assist principal contractors, managers, supervisors and workers prepare for the campaign.

Traffic management
- Traffic management for construction or maintenance work code of practice (PDF, 317 kB)
- Safety alert: working around mobile plant during construction roadworks and related infrastructure (PDF, 124 kB)
Mobile plant
- Plant Code of Practice 2005 (PDF, 376 kB)
Construction housekeeping
Safe work method statements

Additional resources

Promoting safety at the workplace can help generate or support a positive safety culture among workers.

Poster: Create a healthier and safer workplace (PDF, 1.56 MB)
Poster: Slip at work (PDF, 399 kB)

Legislation

The tables below highlight some of the provisions from the legislation that are relevant to the campaign. While a brief description of each provision has been provided, obligation holders should refer directly to the legislation.

Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995
s28	Obligations of persons conducting a business or undertaking Principal contractors, employers, and other persons conducting a business or undertaking have an obligation to ensure the workplace health and safety of themselves, their workers, and any other people that are affected by the business or undertaking.
s31	Obligations of principal contractors A principal contractor has an obligation to ensure the health and safety of all people affected by hazards in a workplace for which no other person has an obligation. They also have an obligation to ensure the safety of anything that has been provided for general use at the workplace. The principal contractor must also coordinate, supervise and oversee the construction work in a way that prevents or minimises risks to health and safety at or near the workplace. The principal contractor is also required to consult with each party involved in the construction work, including the designer, the project manager and any subcontractors, to identify potential hazards and risks.
s34C	Obligation of person in control of relevant workplace area A person in control of a workplace area has an obligation to ensure the area is safe and without risk to health.
s36	Obligations of workers and other persons at a workplace Workers and other people at a workplace have an obligation to: comply with instructions relating to workplace health and safety given by the employer or principal contractor not wilfully or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided for workplace health and safety not wilfully or recklessly place at risk the health and safety of any person not wilfully injure themselves. Workers also have an obligation to use personal protective equipment provided by their employer and in which they have been properly trained.

Workplace Health and Safety Regulations 2008
s260	*Meaning of work method statement* for high risk construction activity** A work method statement or safe work method statement is a written document for a high risk construction activity that states: the specific control measures that will be used to ensure health and safety how the activity will be performed, including how the control measures will be implemented how the effectiveness of the control measures will be monitored and reviewed.
s263	Principal contractor must prepare a construction safety plan The principal contractor must prepare a written construction safety plan that details: the type of work to be performed the associated risks and the control measures that will be implemented how the control measures will be monitored and reviewed the site rules emergency procedures other details relating to the safe management and performance of the work. The plan must be written in a way that is likely to be understood by the persons performing the work.
s268 s269 s270 s271	Principal contractor's obligations for work method statements The principal contractor has the following obligations in relation to work method statements: they must not allow a relevant person to start a high risk construction activity unless the relevant person has prepared a work method statement for the activity they must sign and date the work method statement and keep it with the construction safety plan they must not allow a person to perform a prescribed activity that is high risk construction work unless they comply with the work method statement, and they must monitor the use of the work method statement to ensure compliance.
s294	Relevant person to prepare work method statement A relevant person must prepare a work method statement for a high risk construction activity before starting work for the activity. The work method statement must be written in a way likely to be understood by persons working or about to work at the workplace and who are likely to be affected by the activity.
s277 s303	Safe housekeeping practices The principal contractor and other relevant persons must ensure that safe housekeeping practices are used for construction work. Housekeeping practices must be communicated to workers and monitored and reviewed for effectiveness. Safe housekeeping practices include: appropriate, safe and clear entry to and exit from the workplace safe systems for collecting, storing and disposing of excess waste, and sufficient areas to store materials or plant.