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Construction housekeeping audit results

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland completed its housekeeping audits in the construction industry in June this year, with results showing a need for improved housekeeping practices in key areas.

Housekeeping involves keeping the construction site safe for workers and others, and covers such things as keeping work areas neat and tidy, removing waste, the layout of the site, storage, maintenance, and accident and fire prevention.

Project coordinator Bob Bills said while the construction industry cooperated well with the housekeeping audits, results showed there are key areas that need to be improved.

'The audit found that, on the whole, safe housekeeping was not effectively planned, implemented and monitored on work sites. In many instances housekeeping was not included in the construction workplace plan,' Mr Bills said.


Photo: Mark Burgin.
'Having a coordinated approach to housekeeping is essential to ensure workers are protected. If there is a key message to arise from the audit, it is the importance of planning and constant monitoring of housekeeping issues.'

The main issues which resulted in notices during the audit related to:

Mr Bills said many of these notices could have been prevented through adequate planning, implementation and monitoring of housekeeping practices.

Unsafe housekeeping practices are a major cause of incidents and injuries in the construction industry and are particularly notorious for causing falls on the same level, for example, tripping over loose objects.

Falls on the same level are the second most frequent cause of injury in the Queensland construction industry, causing 14.6 per cent of all injuries during 2003–04.

Around 574 building and construction sites were randomly assessed throughout Queensland in the civil, commercial and residential sectors. Inspectors identified 244 non-compliance issues over the two stages of the statewide campaign.