WorkSafe ACT puts construction industry put on notice as four sites shut down

WorkSafe ACT say they continue to find issues with scaffolding, risk of falls from heights, site security and poor housekeeping.

As well, many sites had a lack of facilities for workers such as toilets.

It came as the watchdog inspected 10 sites in Taylor on Tuesday and issued 23 improvement notices, of those four sites were issued a prohibition notice.

The inspections were part of WorkSafe ACT's "Operation Safe Prospect" campaign, where inspectors conduct a mass action across greenfield development suburbs. Inspectors target one suburb at a time.

The campaign was named in memory of two construction workers who lost their lives in separate incidents in Denman Prospect earlier this year.

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Denman Prospect, Watson and Ginninderry have already been covered. In the past two months, across inspections in Watson and Ginninderry almost 100 safety notices have been handed down.

ACT work health and safety commissioner Jacqueline Agius has slammed the non-compliance and said it was time for the industry to "lift its game".

"This level of non-compliance is just not good enough. The industry has been on notice since February 2020 and we have given them plenty of warning that we will issue notices and fines to anyone who disregards safety standards," she said.

"It's time for the residential construction industry to lift its game and improve health and safety standards for all workers so they can go home safely at the end of their shift."