Module: Construction Specific Requirements

NSWWork Health Safety Regulations

Workbook p38

CHANGESDefinition of construction work

Principal Contractor duties

Construction induction

Duties of designers of structures

Work near underground essential services

The following has been moved into the chapter on Plant & Structures◦ Overhead protective structures◦ Structural collapse◦ Safe lowering of materials

WHS Regulations Chapter 6CONSTRUCTION WORK

Workbook p38

Definition of Construction Work

Construction work means

“any work carried out in connection with

the construction, alteration, conversion,

fitting-out, commissioning, renovation,

repair, maintenance, refurbishment,

demolition, decommissioning or

dismantling of a structure”

Workbook p38

Construction Work Includes activities connected with:

Any installation and testing related to construction

The removal of demolition waste

Prefabrication or testing of elements for use in construction

Assembly/disassembly of prefabricated elements of a structure

Installation, testing ,maintenance of an essential service

Excavation or any preparatory work or site preparation

Construction activity carried out on, under or near water

Workbook p39

Construction Work does NOT include:

The manufacture of plant, including fixed plant

Prefabrication of elements off site for use in construction

The construction or assembly of a structure to be transported to another place

Testing, maintenance or repair work of a minor nature connected with a structure

Mining or the exploration for or extraction of minerals

Workbook p39

Activity 7HIGH RISK CONSTRUCTION WORK MAY

INVOLVE:Potential to fall > 2m

Confined space

In or near tunnels

Work near pressurised

gas

Tilt-up, pre-cast

concrete

Extremes of temperature

Work on telecommunications tower

Work needing temporary

support

Demolition of a load-bearing element of a

structure

Work near electrical

installations

Work near moving plant

Work on or near water

Disturbance of asbestos

Work near contaminated or

flammable atmosphere

Use of explosives

Work near traffic

corridors

Diving

Workbook p40 & 41

A construction project is a project that involves construction work where the cost of the construction work is $250 000 or more

The PCBU that commissions a construction project is the principal contractor

WHO IS THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR

WHAT IS A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Duties of PCBUs Undertaking Construction Work

Additional duties of PCBUs who have control or management of the workplace under the WHS Regulations

Manage risks associated with carrying out the construction work

Secure the workplace from unauthorised access

Further Specific Duties of PCBU

• If carrying out high risk construction work prepare and monitor compliance with a Safe Work Method Statement

• If carrying out excavation work obtain current underground essential services information, before commencing the work

• If excavating a trench of at least 1.5m deep; secure from unauthorised/inadvertent entry

Safe Work Method Statements

Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) are required for

ALL HIGH RISK CONSTRUCTION WORK and

must be prepared before work commences. SWMS must:

◦ Identify work that is high risk construction work

◦ Specify hazards and risks associated with that work

◦ Describe measures to control risks

◦ Describe how the risk control measures are to be implemented, monitored and reviewed

Safe Work Method StatementsCompliance

PCBU must give a copy to the Principal Contractor before work commences

PCBU must put in place arrangements to ensure SWMS is followed

If high risk construction work is not carried out in accordance with the SWMS, the work MUST be:

− stopped immediately or as soon as safe to do so;

− resumed in accordance with the statement

Additional Duties of a Principal Contractor on a Construction Project

Install signage identifying the principal contractor and their contact details

Prepare a written WHS Management Plan before work commences

Inform each person of content of WHS Plan and its relationship to their work

Obtain a Safe Work Method Statement from each PCBU before high risk construction work beginsReview and revise

WHS Plan and keep copies until the completion of the project or for two years following a notifiable incident

Principal Contractor mustmanage risks associated with:

Storage, movement and disposal of materials and waste

Storage of plant that is not in use

Traffic management in the vicinity of workplace

Essential services at the workplace

Site Security

Regulatory Duties of a Principal Contractor

General workplace manageme

nt First aid

Emergency plans

Provision of personal

protective equipmentManagemen

t of airborne contaminan

ts

Management of risks from hazardous

atmospheres

Storage of flammable or combustible substances

Management of risks of falling objects

Management of risks

of falls

Consult with the designer about how to ensure risks arising from the design during construction work are:

• Eliminated, so far as is reasonably practicable, or

• Minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable

Give the designer and the principal contractor information regarding hazards and risks

Person who commissions work MUST

Must account for:

maintenance,

refurbishment,

demolition and

dismantling of a structure

Must specify hazards that may create

risks not only during initial building but

to workers who undertake

maintenance or demolition work in

the future

Design Safety Report

PCBUs must ensure that:

general induction training is

provided to relevant workers

workers have been trained before

directing or allowing a worker to

carry out construction work

Workers must:

keep their general induction

training card available for

inspection

General Construction Induction

Managing Risks in Construction Work

Excavation Work

Preventing Falls in HousingConstruction

Demolition

Safe Design of Building and Structures

Model Codes of Practice - Construction

The contract value is less than $250k so the subcontractors job is not a construction project and the sub contractor does not have principal contractor duties

The sub contractor does not have to prepare a WHS plan but will have to work within the plan provided by the principal contractor

As the work is high risk construction work the sub contractor will need to prepare SWMS relevant to their specific tasks

Activity 8: Case study 1

Workbook p42

The off site prefabrication work is not construction work

The dismantling of prefab buildings is construction work

For the dismantling work the PCBU would have additional duties such as managing the risks of construction work and preventing unauthorised access.

Activity 8: Case study 2

Workbook p43