By Dave Bullard
Source: https://www.constructionsales.com.au/editorial/details/worksite-safety-tips-for-tradies-121055/
The building and construction industry has one of the highest rates of workplace casualties but it doesn’t have to be that way if the right measures are taken…
By the very nature of their occupations, tradies are more likely to be injured or killed at work. In fact, their incident rate is three times higher than all other occupations, according to Safe Work Australia.
While tradies make up 31 per cent of Australia’s workforce, they represent 58 per cent of serious claims for workers’ compensation. And, while sales workers have a fatality rate of 0.1 deaths per 100,000 workers, Safe Work Australia said the figure for labourers is 4.6 and a whopping 7.1 for machinery operators.
Put simply, we owe it to ourselves to be more vigilant when it comes to implementing appropriate workplace health and safety (WHS) practices.
Here are some useful tips:
Know the key risk areas
Trade industry safety risks
According to Safe Work Australia, the most common types of serious claims made by those in the trade industry (technicians and trades workers, labourers, and machinery operators and drivers) are:
Traumatic joint injuries – 44 per cent
Wounds/lacerations – 18 per cent
Musculoskeletal disorders – 15 per cent
Fractures – 10 per cent
The most common causes of these injuries are lifting, carrying and putting down objects.
Construction industry safety risks
Within the construction industry, the main causes of injury are:
Body stressing – 37 per cent
Falls, trips and slips – 28 per cent
Being hit by moving objects – 14 per cent
In this industry, carpenters and joiners make the highest percentage of claims at 13 per cent, followed by plumbers and electricians at seven and six per cent respectively. Earthmoving plant operators, by comparison, only make up two per cent of claims.
Mining industry safety risks
The most common mining industry safety risks are:
Body stressing – 39 per cent
Falls, trips and slips– 25 per cent
Being hit by moving objects – 18 per cent
Many of the body stress workers’ compensation claims are due to muscular stress caused by handling objects, carrying and putting down objects.
The majority of the claims for falls, trips and slips arise from falls on the same level, and a quarter of the claims for being hit by moving objects are due to being hit by mobile plant and transport.
Seek help when needed
Due to the nature of the work involved in the construction industry, it's inevitable that tradies' joints and muscles will go through wear and tear often earlier than their non-tradie peers.
If you are suffering from pain as a result of your work, never hesitate on seeking help from a health professional such as a physiotherapist, remedial massage therapist or osteopath. Most younger tradies think they can weather out the injuries and bounce back unscathed but that’s when the troubles start.
Many therapists report seeing very few young tradies, because they often come to them later in life with pre-existing injuries when they finally succumb to the pain.
Keep a first aid kit handy
Those working on larger jobsites will have access to trained first aiders, first aid rooms or even full health centres, but if you don't have that luxury, it's essential that you at least have access to a first aid kit or two.
The kits must be easily accessible and all workers on the site should know where they are.
Also, it's one thing to have a first aid kit but it's another knowing how to use it. You should familiarise yourself with its contents so you know what to do in the event of an accident. Even better, you should...
Become a trained first aider
Being a trained first aider not only means you have the ability to deal with worksite injuries, it also helps you keep calm when something happens.
Many worksites now require all staff on site to be trained in first aid. This not only ensures that the worker closest to the incident is capable of dealing with it in a calm and orderly manner, it also ensures that help is always on hand especially if the experienced first aider is the one with the injury.
This policy has been shown to reduce the number of injuries on a site, as it makes those trained in first aid more aware of the risks.
Stay safe at heights
According to Safe Work Australia, the leading cause of fatality on construction sites was falling from heights. This includes falling from buildings under construction, roofs, ladders, stairways, ramps and scaffolding.
Even if you managed to survive a fall, chances are you’d suffer some sort of injury that will lead to time off work and loss of income in the short term, and potentially lifelong health issues.
St John Ambulance said while having secure scaffolding and appropriate harnessing can be a bit of a bother, the consequences of not exercising the right safety measures are unimaginable.
Ladders are a particular hazard, it added, as they can easily slip from their position if not properly secured. Here are some ladder safety tips, courtesy of St John Ambulance:
Ensure the ladder is placed on level ground.
Set up the ladder at a 1:4 ratio out from the bottom. For example, a 3m ladder should extend 750mm out from the roof line.
Secure or have someone hold the bottom of the ladder when going up or down.
Have at least three points of contact on the ladder at all times.
Stay 900mm below the top of the ladder.
Use personal protective equipment (PPE)
Some of it may be seriously uncool, but the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce risks should be second nature on worksites. Depending on the nature of the work, a few essentials for tradies are:
Goggles
Gloves
Dust masks
Earmuffs
Steel-capped shoes with sturdy grip
High-viz clothing
Sunscreen
Hard hats
Respirators
Laws relating to the use of PPE vary across Australia, so make sure you check the regulations for your state via the corresponding WorkSafe websites listed below.
Obey the law
Cowboy operators who put theirs and others' lives at risk are history. As a business owner in the current environment, you must meet the workplace health and safety (WHS) requirements in your state or territory – or face the penalties.
The regulations can be found here:
Many of the requirements may be a right pain in the proverbial, but they are there for a reason, and that is to keep people safe.
Thanks to stricter inspections and reinforcements of WHS regulations, work-related fatality rates in Australia have decreased by 48 per cent since 2007. The frequency of serious claims has also fallen by 28 per cent, meaning more workers are making it home in one piece at the end of the day.
In summary, here are our top tips for those working in the building and construction industry to stay safe at work:
Understand and know risk areas
Seek help when you need
Make sure an up-to-date first aid kit is handy on site
Become a trained first aid personnel
Stay safe at heights
Use personal protective equipment (PPE)
Obey the law
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