Campaign launched to address concerning rise of injuries in SA construction industry

The following is an abridgement of an article originally published on the SafeWork SA website.

SafeWork SA is launching an awareness campaign to address a concerning increase in serious workplace injuries from falls.

In 2023, there was a 36% rise in such incidents compared to the previous year. More than half of these injuries involved construction workers, with the residential sector being particularly affected. The construction industry accounted for 89% of non-compliances identified by SafeWork SA.

2023 Health and Safety Snapshot findings

The falls prevention campaign coincides with the release of SafeWork SA's 2023 Health and Safety Snapshot of the construction industry. Key findings from the snapshot include:

• Residential construction sector had the most non-compliances with 292 compared to 58 in commercial and six in civil.
• Misuse of ladders was the biggest contributor to serious injuries from falls with 35 incidents.
• Carpentry and working on a roof had a high number of serious injuries caused by falls with 13 and 14 respectively.
• 83% of serious injuries were due to falls below three metres.
• 20% falls resulted in head injuries.

Interactive tool and inspections

To address these issues, SafeWork SA inspectors will visit construction sites to monitor compliance and remind workers and businesses of their legal obligations. They are also providing access to an interactive tool to document risks and controls, with a sample Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) Guidance Tool available on their website. Construction companies can also make use of a dedicated SWMS software module, featuring automated review workflows, as part of a myosh implementation.

The campaign will target six construction activities with the most non-compliances, offering safety tips on social media platforms. Outside of construction, falls also caused serious injuries in manufacturing, transport, agriculture, mining, and other sectors.

Comments

Glenn Farrell, Executive Director of SafeWork SA, emphasised the importance of workplace safety and commended businesses maintaining high standards.

"We will be carefully monitoring the safety performance of the residential sector in particular and looking for significant improvements."

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Sources

Rise in injuries puts SA construction industry under scrutiny by SafeWork SA, 27th May, 2024.