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An important part of ensuring a healthy and safe environment for everyone on-site is to have effective contractor selection and management.  The following key steps should be followed by the Principal Contractor:

 Scope

Prequalify

Appoint

Monitor and Review

 

Stay on top of these checks with an automated system.

When you’ve got a lot of contractors coming and going, it can turn into a bit of a headache trying to stay on top of checking all these documents. We’ve created a simple, automated system to nail the pre-qualification of your contractors before you begin working with them, to reduce the risk to your business. 

Find out more about HazardCo’s Pre-Qualification Tools here

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when setting up Health and Safety on your construction site that it can seem overwhelming. Use this guide as a tool to understand what you need to do from start to end of your build.

 

Contractor Management
Your obligations as the principal contractor are pretty straightforward. First, you need to make sure contractors have the right skills and experience to do the job, and second, you need to make sure they are going to carry out the work safely. Once they are on board, you also need to monitor if the contractor is following good health and safety practices on-site.

Collecting evidence of this process is important so we recommend putting a system in place so nothing falls through the cracks.

To understand how your contractors manage their Health and Safety it’s important that you talk to your contractors and check that they can show a commitment to keeping workers and visitors safe. This can be demonstrated through clear procedures outlined in their Health and Safety documents, as well as evidence of risk assessments, monitoring work activities, emergency management etc. 

The following areas should be included in their Health and Safety Procedures:

  • Hazards and risks 
  • Training and competency 
  • Emergencies and incidents 
  • Hazardous substances 
  • Health monitoring
  • Sharing information with workers 
  • Plant, machinery, and equipment

When you’ve got a lot of contractors coming and going, it can turn into a bit of a headache trying to stay on top of checking all these documents. We’ve created a simple, automated system to nail the pre-qualification of your contractors before you begin working with them, to reduce the risk to your business. 

Find out more about HazardCo’s Pre-Qualification Tools here

 

Setting Up Your Build
When you start a new build, it is important that health and safety is considered and communicated with everyone coming onto site. If this is created at the beginning of your build, and clear direction is provided and shared, it helps to create and foster good safety practices on-site. With HazardCo it’s easy to set up your site by creating a project in the Hub, all you need to do is: 

  • Provide specific site address details 
  • Add in general information about the project 
  • Identify the emergency procedures that will be put in place on-site 
  • Identify the site hazards and controls that will be used to manage the risks 
  • Choose the contractors that you will be using for the project 
  • The SSSP will be sent automatically to those involved and will advise them to use the site-specific QR code to complete a Site Induction when they arrive on-site and scan in/out each day. 

We recommend that before the project starts, you should think about setting up site fencing, emergency equipment, toilets, handwashing facilities. Make sure that you set up your HazardCo Hazard Board with the site-specific QR code at the entrance of the build, along with the mandatory government COVID Tracing App QR code.

 

During Your Build

  • Update the HazardCo Hazard Board with any new hazards on-site, and encourage contractors to do the same too 
  • Use the site-specific QR Code on the HazardCo Hazard Board to get your workers to complete a digital site induction when they arrive on-site for the first time and scan in/out of site each day .This helps to identify who is on-site, and when
  • Workers should complete a Risk Assessment on the HazardCo App prior to starting work to make sure their work area is safe and the risks are being managed 
  • Monitor works occurring on-site using the Site Review feature on the HazardCo App 
  • For high risk construction work, use the SWMS feature in the HazardCo App. Ensure everyone involved is consulted during the preparation of the SWMS and have read, understood, and will follow the directions provided 
  • Share and capture what’s happening on-site, and upcoming works with workers through the Toolbox Meeting feature on the HazardCo App 
  • Record incidents on-site using the HazardCo App. Any incident, illness or near-miss can be recorded. Check out the HazardCo Hub for your Incident Register 
  • Call our expert Advisory team on 1800 954 702 for any health and safety advice

 

Health and Safety Evidence
Documentation is a key way of showing that Health and Safety is active on-site and provides evidence in areas like incident investigations and learnings that are shared from these. This can be in either digital or physical format. Use the HazardCo tools on the App and Hub for all your H&S needs.

 

If you’re not the principal contractor on-site
We recommend that you use the HazardCo App and Hub to manage your on-site health and safety. At the beginning of each day, complete a Risk Assessment on the HazardCo App. This will help identify that the work area is safe and ensure that you have the correct controls in place for common construction hazards. 

Remember to use the HazardCo App to report any incidents or near misses on your site. This will notify the HazardCo Advisory Team and we will help guide you through the next steps.

During your job:

  • Complete a Risk Assessment on the HazardCo App prior to starting work to make sure their work area is safe and the risks are being managed 
  • For high risk construction work, make sure that you have read, understood and will follow the directions provided in the SWMS completed by the builder
  • Share and capture what’s happening on-site through the Toolbox Meeting feature on the HazardCo App 
  • Record incidents on-site using the HazardCo App. Any incident, illness or near-miss can be recorded. 
  • Call Advisory anytime on 1800 954 702 for any health and safety advice 

 

Don’t forget, as part of your membership, you get unlimited access to the HazardCo team. 

Phone Support
The support you need from people who know their stuff. 

  • 24/7 incident support
  • Get expert advice from our highly qualified advisory team
  • Get full support for your HazardCo system from our customer service team

It’s important to us that you and your crew are kept safe. You know the drill, we’re here to help, so get in touch if there’s anything you need. You can contact us on 1800 954 702 or email info@hazardco.com.

Businesses (PCBUs) that work together will often share health and safety duties in relation to work done. Businesses have a legal duty to consult, cooperate with, and coordinate activities with all other businesses they share overlapping duties with.

What does this mean and how can you ensure that people are not harmed, and you are complying with your legal obligations? Here are some expectations:

  1. Work with designers to reduce risks 
  2. Set clear health and safety expectations and incorporate these into your agreements with contractors
  3. Ensure contractors have appropriate health and safety procedures in place
  4. Prepare a Site Safety Plan for the job and share with all workers and contractors
  5. Establish health and safety reporting requirements with your contractor. A great tool for this is to use the HazardCo App to complete Risk Assessments, Incident Reports and more.
  6. Ensure site inductions take place. Coordinate and communicate site rules and procedures to everyone who accesses the work site, this can be done via the HazardCo App by scanning the QR code located on your Hazard Board.
  7. Set up clear requirements for information sharing for the duration of the project
  8. Ensure that there is effective communication between all parties (e.g. Toolbox Meetings through the HazardCo App)
  9. Monitor your workers and/or contractors you hire

The following key steps should be followed by Principal Contractor:

Scope

  • Consider health and safety risks prior to selecting contractors.
  • Discuss the project with potential contractors to make sure they are capable.
  • Document the process and store in the HazardCo Hub.

Prequalify

  • Ensure prospective contractors have effective health and safety procedures in place.
  • Keep records of contractors’ prequalification.
  • Get peace of mind your contractors are good to go, with an automated system to pre-qualify your contractors, check insurance, trade qualifications and more with HazardCo’s Pre-Qualification Tools. Find out more here, or get in touch with the team to find out if it’s right for you.

Select

  • Select the contractors based on prequalification outcome and any other factors including availability, skills etc.

Appoint

  • Create a Project in the HazardCo Hub, which creates a Site Specific Safety Plan, QR code and Hazard Board. Share the information with contractors.
  • Ensure induction expectations are understood by all workers, contractors and visitors.
  • Ensure all contractors have reviewed the information and agreement is reached and documented.

Monitor

  • Regular communication regarding health and safety performance (e.g. toolbox meetings, site reviews, site inductions etc.)
  • Investigate any incidents and follow up on any outstanding issues.
  • Regular review during the assignment (e.g. Site Reviews)

Review

  • Post contract review – It’s good practice to review the performance of your contractors at the end of the project. Look back at areas that were monitored during the project such as communication, incidents, Site Reviews, etc.

Working along other businesses is a natural part of residential construction. Everyone on-site has a duty to open up the lines of communication and look out for each other. 

You can read more about contractor management and overlapping duties here or if you have any questions about working with other businesses on-site, give our expert Advisory Team a call on 1800 954 702.

Health and safety issues arise from a worker raising concern about health and safety at the workplace and that concern remains unresolved after consultation with the worker/s and the PCBU/Employer, it then becomes a health and safety issue

For example, an issue could include a difference in opinion on whether something is a potential risk to health and safety or whether a particular control measure is suitable. .

There are issue resolution requirements in Health and Safety legislation across Australia which outline how a health and safety issue can be resolved, with the aim to agree on how to fix the problem as soon as possible to avoid further dispute or a similar future issue. 

PCBUs/Employers are to agree on the issue resolution procedure with their workers. If this does not occur, the default procedure for issue resolution under the relevant State/ Territory WHS Regulations must then be followed. 

 

Who is involved in resolving a work health and safety issue? 

Multiple people will be involved in the issue resolution process to ensure adequate consultation and the best outcome occurs. This means it could be: 

 

How to involve representatives in the issue resolution process?

If you or your worker would like to involve representatives in the issue resolution process you are able to do so. A representative does not necessarily need to have health and safety expertise. This could include people such as a designer of a piece of equipment at the workplace, or a person with workplace consultation and negotiation skills. Depending on the nature of the H&S issue, advice or assistance from a range of experts may be required to reach an appropriate and informed resolution between the involved parties.

 Things to remember: 

 

What is an agreed Health and Safety Issue Resolution procedure? 

It’s an agreed process or steps for resolving health and safety issues in the workplace.

You can establish an agreed procedure for a workplace. To do this, make sure the procedure:

 

What is a default Health and Safety Issue Resolution procedure? 

The various State/ Territory Regulations set out the default procedure for issue resolution.

The default procedure provides for any party to the issue to commence the procedure by informing the other parties involved that there is an issue to be resolved and the details of the issue. 

In attempting to resolve the issue, the default procedure requires the parties to have consider and review relevant matters, including: 

 

What should happen after an issue has been resolved?

If the issue is resolved, details of the issue and the resolution must be set out in a written agreement, if any party to the issue requests this. If a written agreement is prepared: 

 

Need Help? 

If you’ve got a question about Health and Safety issue resolution or any other health and safety matter, the HazardCo Advisory Team is here to help. Give us a call on 1800 954 702.

There’s an easier way to kick off projects, and it’s with HazardCo. Cut the time you spend on health and safety admin, without cutting corners!  

If you’re the principal contractor, you need to have a clear plan in place that everyone is aware of (including your workers and contractors).

Get started with all corners covered:

What does my team have to do?

Get tradies, contractors and anyone else stepping foot on-site to download the HazardCo app and you’re all set. Did we mention it’s free to download?

A quick scan of the onsite QR code with the app allows everyone to induct themselves as they turn up. 

 

Start your project the right way. HazardCo will help you to nail your health and safety before you start the build and throughout the life of the project – giving you one less thing to worry about and helping you get your team and contractors home safe at the end of every day.

Our Advisory Team gets a heap of questions about near misses and if they should be recorded. Let’s look at what’s considered a near miss, when they should be recorded and how to go about it. 

Near misses matter

Tradies know all too well how regularly they have a close call on-site. But is a “close call” the same as a near miss? 

Put simply, yes. A near miss is a dangerous event that occurred without causing personal injury or on-site damage of any kind. 

Examples could be anything from a worker tripping over stacked material, dropping a hammer off the scaffold onto the ground, or backing the truck and narrowly missing the boss’s ute. While these seem fairly innocent, they could have been more serious and it’s important that they are all reported. Evaluating what could have been done differently ensures on-site health and safety remains a priority, with near-miss prevention at the top of the list.

Why near misses are often brushed aside

Ignoring a near miss might not seem like a big deal, but it can create a culture on-site where safety isn’t taken seriously. We tend to find that when incidents aren’t reported, these are some of the common reasons why: 

Near miss reporting – it’s serious business

Look at near miss reporting as a second-chance educational tool. It’s not about blame or singling anyone out, it’s about discussing and emphasising a safer environment on-site.  Combined with encouraging near miss reporting, it could mean the difference between change or injury.

Are there patterns in near misses occurring? Are there lots of reports of tools falling from height?

Investigate and ensure controls like the below are in place: 

 

Near misses should never be overlooked. With a swipe and a few taps of the HazardCo App, on-site incident reporting couldn’t be easier. Every tradie deserves to knock off injury-free after a hard day on the tools. Follow up on near misses, discuss the possibilities and take action with HazardCo.

When we hear the term “red flags”, we often think of warning signs when it comes to a particular situation. In the way of a construction site, this could be anything from a messy site, to using out of date H&S paperwork.

Some red flags are more visible or obvious than others, however it’s important to eliminate red flags on your site as they can cause injuries and other issues for you and your crew.

 

🚩 No site security fencing around perimeter

Why is this a red flag?

Not having a fence around the property perimeter could invite unauthorised entry. If your site isn’t secure, members of the public or children can enter the site, which could lead to injuries, property damage or stolen items.

How can you remove this red flag from your site?

Easy, ensure your site has adequate fencing set-up around the perimeter to prevent unauthorised entry. Take into consideration the height and ensure it’s not only high enough, but also check that the gap at the bottom isn’t too big where people including children could squeeze through underneath.

 

🚩 Messy site

Why is this a red flag?

A messy site can lead to all sorts of problems. Waste and other objects left lying around can create obstacles for you and your crew. These in turn could cause slip and trip injuries, something we want to avoid!

How can you remove this red flag from your site?

Make sure your team is regularly cleaning up after themselves. Waste materials like cardboard, general rubbish and other lighter material to be placed/stored in such a way to eliminate tripping hazards and prevent them from flying off site especially during strong winds. Having a skip or bins available will make this task easier for everyone to get done.

 

🚩 No site signage displayed at the front of the site showing the Principal Contractors details

Why is this a red flag?

The site sign provides all of the important details including an after hours contact number. If something happens on site and the principal contractor needs to be contacted, it needs to be easy to find.

How can you remove this red flag from your site?

Display a Principal Contractor sign in a visible location which includes the following information:

 

🚩 High risk work being performed on site without adequate controls

Why is this a red flag?

If there is no process for identifying the hazards, assessing the risks and what controls are required for a task, it could pose a significant risk to workers onsite.

How can you remove this red flag from your site?

SWMS are required for all high risk construction work. Ensure SWMS are accessible to the workers performing the task.

It’s important that SWMS are regularly reviewed. If the SWMS is not being followed due to a variation of work or conditions have changed, then work must stop until the SWMS is reviewed and updated.

 

🚩 Incidents, near misses, injuries and illnesses are not being reported or notified to the right people

Why is this a red flag?

There’s a few reasons why. When people are unaware of incidents or near misses occurring on site, it could lead to the same incident occurring repeatedly. The other issue is that some incidents legally need to be notified to WorkSafe/SafeWork. A fine can be given if this does not occur.

Reporting injuries is also important when it comes to making sure the worker receives appropriate treatment, (e.g. medical treatment) and other support, (e.g. return to work).

How can you remove this red flag from your site?

When incidents, near misses, injuries and illnesses occur on-site it’s important they are reported and investigated. By recording an incident via the HazardCo App, it automatically populates an incident register on your Hub so that all the incidents are recorded in one central location.

Investigations are important as they look at why the incident occurred and what controls can be implemented to prevent them from occurring again.

 

🚩 Out of date paperwork

Why is this a red flag?

H&S paperwork needs to be kept up to date to help keep your workers safe. If yours is out of date, it could contribute to an incident on-site.
Additionally, lack of H&S documentation (e.g. SWMS) could mean you’re not complying with Legislation so you could be liable for certain prosecutions and/or fines.

How can you remove this red flag from your site?

If you’re old school and don’t mind filling out H&S paperwork by hand, make sure you are using something that is current e.g. SWMS is specific for the high risk task.

If you’re like us and love using a digital system, use the HazardCo App to get your H&S done quickly and simply. All of our features including the SWMS and site review are regularly reviewed and kept up to date including when legislation changes.

 

If any of these red flags have made you stop and think, we’ve created a list so you can check off everything you need to do as a builder or trade on site.

Click here to download the Builder checklist. If you’re a trade,  email our team at info@hazardco.com and we’ll send you the Trade checklist.

 

Why are concrete/cement/plaster products in the eye such an emergency?

Most cement, lime, mortar, concrete, and plaster products are hazardous substances that contain strong alkalis.

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As seen in the image above, alkalis are on the opposite end of the PH scale from acids, however, can be equally as dangerous, being extremely destructive to your eyes. The way you handle the first seconds, minutes, and hours after you get the dry powder or wet mix in your eyes, will determine the outcome. 

Alkalis may start their damaging work in your eye without much pain or symptoms, but over time the damage gets worse. So beware, follow the first aid steps below even if you don’t feel pain. 

Don’t become one of the statistics: in 2019 – 2020 there were 197 injury claims resulting from chemical or other substances to the eye.

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What is the First Aid treatment if I get concrete/cement products in my eye?

Every second counts! Run to the closest tap, eye wash station or water bottle and start flushing your eye. You are aiming to dilute the alkali to lessen the damage.

Wash your face and hands, you don’t want to get more cement product in your eyes. Flush your eye with a steady stream of running water. Let it pour into your eye while lifting both eyelids to rinse out all the cement granules underneath. Do not reuse the water and do not let contaminated water run into the unaffected eye.

What will happen if I do not flush my eye, or stop too early?

If you do not flush your eye, or stop before you are told to do so, you may suffer from permanent eye damage, dry eyes, vision loss and more.

How can I protect my eyes?

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You can create a Hazardous Substances Register using the template available in your HazardCo hub. You can attach the SDS’s to the register and share it with your team.

If you have an incident where someone gets cement/concrete in their eye, remember to report this as an incident in the HazardCo App. This will automatically be added to your incident register in the HazardCo Hub, and the Advisory team will be in touch with you to discuss next steps if it is deemed to be notifiable.

For questions or support, contact the friendly advisory team at HazardCo on 1800 954 702 or info@hazardco.com.

Timber frame standing and truss erection can be back-breaking work! It is often high risk work with some serious potential injuries. We recommend these three steps are completed prior to every install. Ensure that everyone understands the process and their role, from when frames and trusses arrive on-site all the way through to standing. 

 

Here are 3 recommendations to ensure that your site is safer during the arrival and installation of frames and trusses. 

 

1) Risk Assessment and Safe Work Method Statement

The development of Risk Assessments and SWMS are crucial to your workers to ensure their safety throughout the build. To make these processes easy, you can complete these on the HazardCo App. 

Some things to think about when creating a Risk Assessment and SWMS for frame and truss delivery and erection are: 

Is the work area secure? 

Clients, visitors, and members of the public cannot enter the area and workers are aware that they should only enter if they are required for the tasks. 

Have all site inductions been carried out and an emergency plan developed for any at height work?

Have all workers who work at height been trained to do so? Is access to height suitable and is fall protection in place?

Have all workers been provided with the correct PPE? Are all tools and equipment available and in suitable working order for the task?

The purpose of a SWMS is to go into detail for each of the tasks to be carried out. Thinking about the hazards at each step and how they can be appropriately controlled. 

You should think about:

Prior to work starting, workers should be involved in developing a SWMS. Consulting workers is important so they understand the detail of the SWMS and what they are required to do to implement and maintain risk controls. Sharing information and using the knowledge and experience of workers will help make sure the work is performed safely and in line with the SWMS.

On paper, this sounds like a lot of work – but it is made simple by using the HazardCo App, and using SWMS templates that you can save as templates and amend again and again. You’re not having to start from the beginning for tasks that you complete regularly. Do remember to check over your templates before approving them as different sites can present different hazards that you don’t want to miss, (overhead power lines as an example). 

2) Working safely at height

When working at height, either on a second story or setting trusses you need to ensure that your workers are safe, not just from falling, but from tools, equipment, or materials falling too. 

Scaffolding

Once the lower level frames have been stood/braced appropriately, safe working platforms should be installed such as scaffolding. Scaffolding over 4m must be erected by a licensed scaffolder and all scaffolding should be checked by a competent person regularly. 

Edge protection

If the potential of a fall cannot be eliminated when working on a roof, some form of edge protection should be used to isolate workers from a fall. This includes working on single-story buildings and structures. Using the existing scaffolding as edge protection is often the simplest solution. If this is not practicable, then elevating work platforms or temporary work platforms should be used. Toe boards should be fixed to temporary edge protection as a way of containing all materials, including debris and loose tools. 

3) Traffic Management Plan

Worksite traffic can be a major cause of harm on work sites.  When it’s close to having your frames and trusses delivered to site and you’re considering dates with the delivery company, it is essential to communicate the traffic management plan with them. This provides the company and drivers involved with a clear picture of how the site has been structured and can assist the delivery company in selecting the correct sized vehicle for the delivery, taking into account the site size and structure.

Ensuring that you implement the above can prevent many injuries on site, as well as regular toolboxes, making plans for ‘what if’ situations (rescue plans) and discussing these with your workers to keep them alert so they’ll know what to do if an incident occurs on-site. 

 

For some useful information on the safe installation of roof trusses and framing please view these resources: 

WorkSafe Victoria: Safe erection of roof trusses

WorkSafe Victoria: Preparing to erect timber wall frames

SafeWork Australia Managing the risks of falls in housing construction

 

We’ve heard all sorts of myths and misconceptions when it comes to health and safety. We’re here to debunk some of the more common ones we hear.

H&S admin takes too long on site, it slows us down.

Back in the day we’d agree with you on this one, however times have changed. With the HazardCo system you can complete your health and safety quickly and easily.

Did you know our members reduced health and safety admin time by 50% when they switched from paper systems? Our easy to use app will guide you through what needs to be done to ensure you’re on top of your health and safety.

I’m not going to have an incident on site, I’ve been doing this for years and I’m not silly.

Even if you haven’t had an incident on-site for a long time, it doesn’t mean you never will. In fact, the more often you’re exposed to a risk, the less your brain perceives the significance of the risk, although the level of risk has not changed.

Project sites are constantly changing which could mean new hazards come up as the build progresses. It’s important to regularly review your health and safety measures on-site and continually make changes where necessary.

HazardCo helps you to stay on top of your health and safety at all times. Learn about the common incidents on-site and how to reduce the risk.

I don’t need to worry about health and safety because I’m a small builder, the Regulators have bigger fish to fry.

The role of WorkSafe and  SafeWork is to reduce workplace harm. Stats show there continues to be a large number of incidents happening on residential building sites, which is why it continues to be a focus of WorkSafe and SafeWork. WorkSafe and SafeWork often issue safety alerts on recent issues and focus areas, such as height related incidents on resi sites.  

It’s important to focus on health and safety not just because of the regulators, but because it can keep your workers and other people safe on-site. 

Staying on top of your health and safety can mean:

It’s fine for me to use the same safety plan on all my sites because the houses I build are really similar.

A WHS Management Plan / Health and Safety Coordination plan must be specific to the site.

Sure, some key hazards and risks will be the same across projects, therefore certain content may remain the same from project to project however it’s essential that a site specific plan is reviewed and amended for each project.

It’s up to the contractors and subbies on site to make sure they are safe, it’s not up to me as the building company.

Construction work requires many businesses to be involved in the same task or activity (for example suppliers, contractors, and building owners).

There may be multiple people or businesses that are responsible for the duty of care to workers and others on-site. Therefore, more than one person can have the same duty. When it comes to sharing certain duties, everyone is responsible.

If you’re a Principal Contractor, you also have additional health and safety obligations relating to the project site. Find out more about sharing health and safety duties in construction.

I don’t need to report or investigate near misses, as nothing happened.

Near misses should be considered the same as an incident. But often they aren’t. We often find that near misses are very rarely reported, and actually brushed off. 

Near misses are just as dangerous as actual incidents. If you’ve had a near miss, you might have got lucky but someone else might not. Treat near misses as a free learning tool to review your processes and the controls in place to prevent more serious incidents from occurring.

No matter how big or small, report all near misses and incidents so you can all learn from them.

Don’t take near misses lightly. Report the incident as soon as it happens with the HazardCo App. Read more about the importance of reporting and recording near misses 

I don’t need to worry about managing ‘Health’ when it comes to Health and Safety on-site.

Health can often be overlooked in the construction industry, but it’s a big contributor to time off work and workers compensation costs across Australia. Both physical and mental health risks can significantly impact the health of your workers and negatively impact your business if not taken seriously.

Get the best from your team and work safer and healthier. Find out more about the importance of looking after you and your worker’s physical and mental health.

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