bbtdigital_admin, Author at HazardCo AU

The construction industry is known for its potential hazards and risks, and unfortunately, incidents sometimes occur. Having an incident on-site can be alarming, but your response is crucial in reducing its impact and making sure the team is safer in the future.

Remember, if you’re a HazardCo member we will support you throughout this process, just give us a call.

Incidents can range from very minor, to serious incidents. The steps below can be scaled up or down depending on the seriousness of the incident. If you have a near miss on site, this is also considered an incident. Learn more about reporting near misses.

Prioritise Health and Safety

The health and safety of the people involved in the incident should be the main concern. Immediately assess the situation to identify any ongoing dangers and take appropriate action to eliminate or minimise risks. Evacuate affected areas if necessary and provide medical assistance to injured personnel. Remember, health and safety should always come before anything else.

Secure the Scene

Once the immediate safety concerns are addressed, you may need to secure the scene to prevent further incidents or unauthorised access. Erect physical barriers, post warning signs and restrict entry if needed.

Communicate!

Maintaining clear and effective communication during and after an incident is really important.

Notify all the relevant people about the incident as soon as possible. This includes workers, supervisors, managers and contractors.

Report the incident in the HazardCo App

Using the Report Incident feature on your HazardCo App, fill out the fields to capture what happened. Your reported incident will be added to your incident register in the Hub, and HazardCo retains this for as long as you’re a member.

Notifiable Incidents

It’s important to note that some incidents are required to be notified to your Regulator. These are referred to as notifiable incidents. A notifiable incident is:

A death
A serious injury or illness, or
A dangerous incident that exposes someone to a serious risk, even if no one is injured.

In the event of a notifiable incident, you need to preserve the incident site until an inspector arrives or directs you otherwise. This doesn’t prevent you from helping an injured person or making the site safe.

For more information on the Regulator in your state, head over to our help centre.

Find out what happened and why, then complete an investigation report

Investigating the incident will help to find out exactly what happened and why. We recommend talking to the people involved as well as any witnesses. For a serious incident, it’s best to speak to everyone individually.

Document all your findings in a report, including photos and relevant data. In the report, you should look at immediate causes as well as bigger issues and potential improvements to prevent future incidents. HazardCo members can use the guided Investigation Report in the Hub to identify any shortcomings or gaps that may have contributed to the incident and implement corrective actions. This may involve improving training programs, modifying procedures, upgrading equipment, or implementing new safety technologies.

Communicate some more!

Pass on what you have learnt to everyone involved. This is your opportunity to emphasise a culture of continuous improvement and learning to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Encourage open communication and create a supportive environment that encourages workers to report near misses and potential hazards without fear of repercussions.

When an incident occurs on a construction site, a swift and effective response is crucial to reduce risks and ensure the health and safety of your crew. Prioritising safety, establishing clear communication channels, securing the scene, communicating and investigating the incident can continuously improve the health and safety of everyone on site. At the end of the day, these measures protect lives, as well as contribute to the long-term success of the project and your business.

If an incident happens at work and your first thought is paperwork, you’re doing health and safety wrong.

Reporting incidents and near misses is vital to good business, and that begins with a ‘safety differently’ approach. A prevention before cure attitude. One that sees incidents reported immediately and investigated thoroughly.

Time and time again we see incidents happen and fingers pointed. What is absolutely vital for your business is a health and safety culture that involves no blame, is open, honest and educated. How do you nurture this culture? You need the right tools.

Where to document and register all incidents

You don’t need to over complicate matters here. Incidents and near misses should be registered in one convenient place that is easy to manage and draw upon when needed.

The HazardCo App has been designed with just this in mind. Simply login, report who was involved in the incident, what treatment was required, and the details surrounding what happened.

All of this information is then stored automatically as an incident register on the HazardCo Hub for you to access and view anytime.

What incidents should you report

You should report all health and safety incidents or near misses that happen at work. These can be incidents that affect you, your workers, or anyone on-site.

Why you should be reporting incidents

Every single worker plays a part in protecting ourselves and one another in the workplace. By reporting incidents you are helping identify areas where you can work together to improve health and safety, and potentially save lives.

Learning from Incidents

It’s important that when incidents occur, time is taken to review and learn from them.

Depending on the complexity of the incident, learning from it might be as simple as meeting with the team afterward to figure out what went wrong, and what can be done to stop it from happening again. Some incidents may need more investigation to help find out exactly what happened and why.

Not your job?

Yes, it is. And that’s why we are so proud of what we do. The HazardCo App and Hub puts health and safety in everyone’s hands, so everyone is protecting their workforce and working safely.

By reporting and investigating an incident, you will find the cause, but you are also likely to identify other areas where improvements can be made. Investigations aren’t about blame and punishment but learning and improving.

No workplace is perfect, and failure will occur. Let your workers know this, and that blame is off the table. This is about making sure everyone is safe and able to get on with the job at hand.

Educate to empower, and enable your workforce to sort their safety today.

HazardCo incident support: When the going gets tough, we’ll be there

All Complete, Premium and Standard HazardCo members receive incident support as part of their plan.

If you have an incident on-site, get in touch and we will help you work out if it’s notifiable to your State/ Territory Regulator and guide you through the next steps. Incidents on-site are stressful for everyone involved, so we will make sure you are following the right processes.

We’re here to help. Reach out to our team if you have any questions or need health and safety advice.

1800 954 702 | info@hazardco.com

Winter weather has the potential to hit hard, with strong winds, low temperatures, and of course, lots of rain. All of these factors can cause hazards for you and your workers. From trips and slips, to numb fingers and damaged gear and equipment, cold temperatures call for specific measures to ensure that your workplace is safe during the cold and wet winter months.

Work doesn’t stop when winter weather rolls in, so it’s important to know what to do to keep your workers safe and warm.

Winter checks and inspections
When the winter weather starts rolling through it’s important for you to inspect your workplace. If you are somewhere that experiences heavy rain, make sure that you identify and address, where possible, all wet and muddy surfaces, platforms and walkways that are used. If strong winds are forecast, check that all materials have been stacked and secured to prevent anything from falling or blowing away. It’s crucial to stress the importance of fall protection when wet and windy conditions are present. To ensure your site is safe, complete a Site Review using your HazardCo App.

Winter driving accidents
Vehicle accidents don’t just happen on the roads, they can also happen within the work site. Highlight to your team that winter driving rules for the road also apply to your workplace and it’s important that they take care while operating work vehicles and equipment. To ensure your vehicles are safe for the road, complete a Vehicle checklist using your HazardCo App.

Watch the weather
The last thing you need is for the weather to catch you by surprise. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, so your workers can prioritise the work that will be affected should the weather take a turn for the worse, and that they have the right gear to be able to do the job safely.

The right PPE makes a difference
Be vigilant when ensuring that workers are wearing proper PPE and suitable clothing when winter weather conditions are present.

Safety helmets and hard hats should be worn where applicable, to protect workers in the case of a fall, as well as from falling objects. Using liners under headgear is a great way to stay warm and keep body heat from escaping. Use chin straps to avoid safety headgear falling off in windy conditions.
Safety glasses and goggles can be treated with anti-fog spray to prevent vision from becoming obstructed.
Gloves need to be carefully selected to ensure that workers will still have a good range of movement when working with tools and equipment.
Waterproof boots with non-slip soles should be worn along with two layers of socks to keep moisture away from the skin.

Follow these tips to optimise your crew’s safety so you can enjoy a productive winter while keeping your team safe.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

If a worker performs an activity that is carried out alone, in isolation or in a remote location, without close or direct supervision, this is commonly referred to as lone working.

Lone working can increase the health and safety risks of any job. Workers may be isolated from support and assistance because of where or when they’re working, or the nature of the work they are doing.

While working alongside your team may not be an option, looking out for your workers should be a top priority.

Lone working includes:

Traveling alone as part of the job
Traveling long distances
Working in remote or isolated locations
Working unsupervised for an extended period of time – this includes in a separate area away from other workers on larger sites.
Working late night or shift work

If this sounds like your workforce, then it’s important you minimise the risks associated with lone working. This can be achieved by effective planning and consultation with your lone workers.

Identify the hazards and understand the risks

Have a look at your site/s to determine when work may be undertaken alone, in isolation or in remote locations.
- Think about the specific tasks / activities that may be undertaken
- Consider what special work considerations may occur e.g. irregular work, breakdown and emergency work that may result in lone working
How long and what time of day will lone working take place, considering factors such as fatigue and focus
Have a think about what types of incidents could occur and the access to emergency services
Are there medical conditions and/or restrictions to the worker/s
Consider the risks to mental health due to lone working
Think about dangerous conditions, environmental impacts and other contributing factors that may make the work more hazardous

Agree on suitable control measures

We have put together some recommendations for you to consider, in consultation with your team, when looking at ways to ensure workers can perform their job safely:

Try and eliminate the need for lone work in the first place. Identify tasks that don’t need to be conducted alone or in isolation. Look at frequency, duration, time of day and look at suitable ways that may make it possible to have supervision or a co-worker.
Provide information and instruction, such as safe work procedures, on how to perform a task safely whilst lone working
Ensure workers are trained and competent in the task being completed (not an apprentice or inexperienced worker).
Agree on a way to regularly check in on your lone workers. Ensure it’s discussed and agreed to prior to the work commencing. This could be a simple phone call, group messages or video calls at agreed intervals. Don’t underestimate the power of human interaction in these times.
Make sure you arrange regular catch-ups with lone workers by keeping the lines of communication open with everyone. Just because they aren’t next to you on-site, doesn’t mean they should be less informed. Depending on the duration and work involved, consider getting them to check in virtually to a toolbox meeting for example so they still receive team updates and can feel connected.
Establish limits / restrictions to work activities e.g. what tasks are prohibited from being authorised to perform – like no high risk construction work will be performed by lone workers.
Provide First Aid training, first aid kit, correct tools/equipment and PPE to lone worker/s. If a fire extinguisher needs to be made available, check that it has been inspected within the last 6 months.
Emergencies can be more serious if there’s no one around to assist, give first aid or call for help. Ensure emergency protocols are established, such as creating an emergency plan, and that it is suitable considering the types of emergencies which may arise. Determine how the worker/s can raise the alarm / alert someone e.g. providing duress alarms or alert systems so workers can call for emergency assistance or need to discreetly raise an alarm. Two way radios and mobile phones may also be considered.
Establish security procedures to protect workers from violence or other factors, where applicable
Look at GPS or location trackers for those working in isolated or remote locations.

Being proactive and prepared will help you to better manage the risks associated with lone working. The biggest tip we can give you is to look out for your team as if they were still with you on-site, or in the office.

Nail guns are used frequently on construction jobs, including in residential construction. Like all power tools, nail guns can cause serious injury. Nail gun injuries can happen due to accidental discharges whilst moving, carrying, and repositioning. Injury can also happen when fired nails strike other nails or timber knots causing them to ricochet. Incidents also occur when workers accidentally place themselves into positions where they are directly exposed to the projectile path of a nail gun.

The risk of a nail gun injury is greatly increased when using a contact trigger (bump fire or multishot) compared to using a full sequential trigger (single-shot). Most injuries occur when the nail gun is set to ‘bump fire’ mode, resulting in penetrating wounds to the operator or nearby workers.

It’s important you review the type of nail gun trigger system and the extent of information,instruction and training given to workers, particularly inexperienced and young workers.

Tips for managing the risks on site

There are a number of ways to reduce the risk of injuries. We have put together a few suggestions below and we encourage you to consult with your workers about how you can work together to ensure safe nail gun use on-site :

Replace bump fire nail guns with full sequential trigger guns, where possible. A full sequential trigger is always the safest trigger mechanism for the job. It reduces the risk of unintentional nail discharge and double fires.

Note: Bump-fire nail guns potentially may be used to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries (e.g. strains and sprains) for jobs that involve high volume production and repetitive tasks. In these circumstances, ensure only highly experienced and skilled workers use these types of nail guns and implement other additional control measures to reduce the risk of injury.

When working at height, operators should work from a platform as nail guns are designed to be used with two hands and recoil when fired
Ensure nail guns are not held above the line of the workers shoulders
Keep other workers well away from the area where the nail gun is being used
Maintain nail guns to ensure correct operation of the actuation mechanism. If any problems occur, have it repaired by a competent person or replace it. Do not continue to use a malfunctioning nail gun.
Inspect timber surfaces for cracks or knots prior to their use
Provide workers with training and instruction in their safe operation and any other specific direction provided in the manufacturer’s manual including what to do if the nail gun malfunctions. in addition:
- Carpenters should only use nail guns once adequately trained and deemed competent to use them.
- Apprentices should only use nail guns under direct supervision
Provide suitable PPE such as eye protection, hearing protection and additional personal protective equipment

While many industries seem to have recovered post-pandemic, the construction sector is still battling tough conditions.

It’s important to keep on top of your business processes to reduce headaches later down the track. Whether it’s your invoicing, your insurance, or your health and safety, neglecting these things can really hurt later on. Some businesses are choosing to take this time to invest in their current systems and processes, to help them to build a more resilient business that can respond to the market.

Scaled back?

If your business has scaled back a bit, such as cutting back on help, switching to smaller renovation projects, or you plan to really tighten the belt on the budget for a while, we’re here to remind you to prioritise your H&S. As long as you or your team are on the tools, you need to manage health and safety effectively. This means:

Ensuring processes and controls remain in place
Frequently reviewing risk management procedures
Continuing accurate and compliant record-keeping habits

HazardCo is the simplest, best way to nail health and safety

The HazardCo system helps you to manage your health and safety in the simplest way possible, so you’ll feel confident you are keeping your team and your business safe. The system is designed especially for home builders, and comes with all the reports and templates you need, loaded up with advice provided by experts

Key benefits include:

Site-specific safety plan generator – Create a site specific plan in minutes
Hazard board with QR code – Workers on site scan in and complete induction, so you know who is on-site at all times
On-site App – Workers can complete and collect SWMS, incident reports and more
Automated contractor management – Collect insurances, proof of WHS and more
Unlimited WHS advice – Advice and assistance over the phone
24/7 incident support – Support throughout the incident reporting process

The Key Takeaway

Health and safety should never take a back seat. It’s still as crucial as it’s ever been and HazardCo’s here to keep you out of strife.

Get a free 7-day trial of the HazardCo health and safety system.

As a plumber, you know your business runs better when you’ve got a good process to manage your jobs. But keeping your job management in top form can be a hard task when you’re on the tools everyday.

Time is money, so the less time you spend making calls to confirm service details or buying materials, the more billable hours you have to complete work. To run your business in a more efficient and profitable way you need to be making the most of your time, instead of getting bogged down by admin.

Here’s how a job management app can streamline your daily processes to bring maximum benefit to your business:

No more hunting for documents

If your team is using paper quotes or sending ad hoc emails, you’ll be wasting precious time every week trying to find this information when you need it. An app-based job management solution stores all of the information you need in one place so you can find all the details you need, when you need them.

Know exactly where your team is

Do you find you’re frequently making calls to your team to stay on top of what they’re working on and what jobs have been completed? On the flip side, do you find your team calling throughout the day wondering where they should be and when?

Remove the need for these calls with a job management app that shares all job information automatically between you and your team members. Simply log on and you’ll see exactly where your team is, what jobs have been completed, and any other info that you need for the day. All in one convenient place.

Never double up again

A top-tier job management solution cuts down on double data entry and saves you time transferring data between quotes, accounting systems, timesheets, and payroll. By housing all of your information in one central location, all of your data populates where it needs to be so you can say goodbye to unnecessary manual data entry.

Create happier customers

From staying current on all projects to collecting invoices, keeping on top of your customer data is a huge part of your business. A job management solution does more than just keep your contact list in order, it also connects all the information you need to run your business such as current quotes or invoices and past jobs. That way, you can keep your customer history in order, as well as being able to easily check in on outstanding items.

The time you save when you partner with a leading job management system will not only benefit your efficiency but also increase your bottom line. Ultimately, it helps you direct your time and energy to where it’s needed most. Luckily for you, we have just the guys in mind.

Introducing FieldPulse

FieldPulse is a job management tool with a bucketload of slick features. They give plumbers the tools they need for customer management, quoting, scheduling, and invoicing. You’ll even be able to search the entire Reece product catalogue with live pricing information and submit purchase orders directly to Reece without having to leave FieldPulse.

With FieldPulse’s system, you can save yourself 10+ hours of admin a week. Plus, FieldPulse members have seen a 60 percent increase in customer enquiries converting into paying customers resulting in an average of five new jobs being scheduled each week. Sounds good? Yeah, we thought so.

Sounds like a plan?

As a HazardCo member, you’ll receive 20% off a month-to-month Fieldpulse membership. Sign up for a yearly membership and receive 25% off!

Get on top of your health and safety with HazardCo and keep track of job management in FieldPulse. It’s a win-win!

Get a free trial of Fieldpulse.

As part of our ongoing partnership with Buildxact, we’ve recently built a connection between our two systems to help residential building companies and renovators further simplify their business processes.

Buildxact is a Software-as-a-Service company specialising in residential construction management systems. Buildxact is headquartered in Melbourne Australia and is used extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand.

We share a common goal of wanting to simplify home construction by offering easy-to-use digital tools. We are excited to bring together two leading systems and help our members work more efficiently. Our shared vision is to empower builders by helping them to transition to digital systems and reduce their paperwork burden.

There has been strong market demand to build a connection between HazardCo and Buildxact. The first version of this connection automatically uploads important health and safety documents created using the HazardCo system directly to Buildxact. By storing project documents, such as estimates, quote letters, invoices, alongside safety documents like SWMS or safety induction notes in one easily accessible location, builders can save time. We are continuing to work with our members to get their feedback on these tools and discover what other functionality would be valuable.

The integration between HazardCo and Buildxact comes at no additional cost to builders who are already using both systems.

An estimate being created using BuildXact:

At HazardCo, the safety and well-being of every person on the job site is our top priority. By connecting our leading health and safety system with Buildxact’s residential construction management system, we are providing builders with an integrated solution that enables them to complete their projects efficiently while ensuring a safe working environment.

Learn more about Buildxact and the integration here

Inductions are mandatory on all construction sites and are essential for both yours and your team’s safety. We want to make sure you get home safe at the end of the day, so prioritising your H&S is a must.

Why should I be carrying out site inductions?

A site induction is necessary to inform workers of the dangers and risks associated with their work at the start of each project. No two projects are alike, and each has its own set of teams, tasks, work types, environments, risks, activities, and layout.

It’s important for everyone on-site to have a clear understanding of the risks involved. Site inductions are designed to protect people, so it’s crucial we all do them.

How do I carry out a site induction?

At times, a supervisor may not be available on-site to perform an induction. That’s why we’ve made it easy for everyone to conduct an induction on-site. The HazardCo app allows you to complete a site induction easily and digitally, and it be accessible to your entire team.

Our site induction process includes a QR code that can be scanned on-site, acknowledging and reading the site-specific safety plan. With all the necessary information in one place, workers will know what the site/task-specific arrangements and regulations are.

Conducting site inductions properly can save time, stress, and lives. Get in touch with the HazardCo Team to see how we can help you.

If you’re a HazardCo member, click here to find out more on scanning on-site and completing an induction.

If you’re not, click here for a 7-day free trial.

Angle grinders are versatile hand-held tools that are used regularly in the residential construction industry.

Serious incidents can occur when using grinders onsite. The most common causes of injury to operators and nearby workers from angle grinders are:

Serious harm if caught by cutting/grinding wheel.
- lacerations from angle grinder kickbacks.
- lacerations from attachments that break and become projectiles.
Hearing damage from wheels cutting through material.
Burns from sparks and workpiece surfaces.

What are some control measures to reduce the risk of injury?

Here are some control measures to consider when it comes to managing the risks associated with grinders:

Determine if an angle grinder is actually the best tool to perform the task, because another tool may be just as, or even more, effective.
Prior to purchasing a grinder, look at ones with adjustable handles that can be moved to suit both left and right-handed operators.
Select a grinder that has an automatic cut-off or dead-man switch as part of the handgrip. This is designed to cut off power as soon as finger pressure is released.
Only use angle grinders that are an appropriate size for the task. Do not use a grinder that is larger, heavier or more powerful than is necessary, as it is much easier to control a lighter tool.
Ensure guards are never removed. The guard usually covers half of the disc and is positioned between the disc and the operator.
Ensure that the correct type of disc is used for the task being performed. The wrong disc potentially can shatter or ‘grab’ the workpiece causing kickback.
Regular maintenance and inspection of the grinder and cutting disc by a competent person, as per the manufacturer’s specifications.
Provide operators with appropriate information, training, and instruction to ensure the grinder is operated safely and competently.

Before use

Before using an angle grinder, it’s important to check that:

Guard and handles are secure.
There are no defects or damage to the disc (a disc that has been dropped may have developed cracks and should not be used).
Use only the tightening tool supplied by the grinder manufacturer to tighten the disc as other methods can damage the disc and grinder.
The spindle’s correct disc diameter and central disc hole size are used.
The correct type of disc is used for the material being cut or ground.
Make sure the disc is the right way up.

During use

Consider the following safe practices when an angle grinder is in use:

Always ensure that your work area is well ventilated.
Position the tool so that the power cord always stays behind the machine during operation.
Make sure the wheel is not contacting the workpiece before the switch is turned on.
Before using the grinder, test run the tool at the highest no load speed, and stop immediately if any vibration or wobbling occurs.
Look out for flying sparks. Hold the tool so that sparks fly away from you, others, and flammable materials.
Use both hands to operate the grinder. One hand should grip the handle and dead-man switch (if provided), while the other hand supports the weight of the tool.
Allow the grinder to ‘run up’ to operating speed before applying it to the job.
Position the grinder against the workpiece with minimum pressure, so the disc does not ‘grab’ and cause it to kickback.
Keep the grinding disc at a 15 – 30 degree angle to the object. Check that the workpiece is held firmly, either as part of a larger item or in a bench vice.
Keep the work at waist height during grinding where possible.
Angle grinders must have stopped turning completely before they are put down or moved around the workplace.
Before changing discs, remove the plug from the power point.
Never use a grinding disc for cutting or a cutting disc for grinding.
Do not touch the workpiece immediately after operation. It may be extremely hot and could burn your skin.
Ensure correct PPE is worn for the task/ job and review what can get caught in a moving part of the tool. For example:
- Ensure workers do not wear loose clothing or jewelry.
- Long hair is to be tied back so nothing can become caught
- Workers should wear protective clothing such as safety glasses, leather aprons, gloves, face shield (if required), safety boots, RPE (if required) and hearing protection as they will be better protected.

If you’ve got a question about safe grinder use or any other health and safety matter, the HazardCo Advisory Team is here to help. Give them a call on 1800 954 702.