We’re proud to announce we now offer WHS / OHS advice and incident support alongside our popular digital tools!

We are offering this service to all members for no additional cost, because we want you to feel confident you are keeping your crew and business safe.

Health and safety is complicated, so whether you are in the office or on-site, if you have a question, are feeling unsure, or have an incident, give our team of experts a call and we will set you right.

Our advisory team is available during working hours to help you with any WHS/OHS questions or problems that may come up. All you need to do is give them a call on 1800 954 702 between the hours of 8am-4pm and they’ll be there to guide you. 

These services are available at no additional cost, it’s just another one of the great benefits and features that comes with your standard or premium HazardCo membership. Plus, you’ll receive updates to ensure that your health and safety programme remains fully compliant and up to date. 

Our team of advisors has years of experience across multiple industries and will be able to give you a hand with any queries you may have, including: 

• What type of documentation is expected from you 
• What the controls should be for the task you’re about to do 
• Advice for managing contractors on-site 
• Understanding WorkSafe visits and notices 
• How to keep contractors and visitors safe in your workplace
• Understanding asbestos works, requirements, where to find it, and training 

We know that incidents on-site can be stressful and it can be hard to know what you need to report and the right process to follow. Give us a call and we will guide you through what you need to do. 

Call 1800 954 702 if you’re in need of a hand. 

Dust is a common hazard found in the construction industry, especially around demolition or refurbishment work. Demolition involves all different types of materials that could create hazardous dust (airborne contaminants), so understanding the risk your workers are exposed to will help you to identify how best to manage the risks.

Hazardous dust can cause a number of health conditions, including skin and eye infections, silicosis, lung cancer, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). The effects of dust inhalation are not always immediately obvious, particularly when breathing it in, and can cause life long health issues or death.

Health and exposure monitoring
Health monitoring is the monitoring of a worker to identify changes in their health status because of exposure to certain substances. It involves a doctor examining and monitoring the health of a worker to see if the exposure to hazardous substances at work is affecting their health.

You must ensure that health monitoring is carried out or supervised by an appropriate health monitoring doctor. If your workers have health monitoring regularly it is called a ‘health monitoring program’.

The health monitoring doctor will choose the best way to monitor your worker’s health and may use more than one way to monitor your worker’s health. They will look at:

• The regulatory requirements under the model WHS laws or state laws where different to WHS
• The type of substance / chemical involved
• The way your worker is exposed
• The level of exposure
• If the work environment includes control methods or equipment to reduce the exposure, and
• If it is possible to use a proactive way to monitor adverse health effects.

Controlling
Controls to minimise the exposure to dust in the workplace could include:

• Detailed risk assessment
• Tool dust extraction systems
• Water suppression
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Making sure your workers have the right tools and information to complete the job safely includes training and understanding the risks involved, what to do if anything should go wrong, as well as the correct use, storage, and maintenance of PPE..

Controls to consider are:

• Limiting the number of people near the work
• Task rotation
• Substitution of materials where practicable
• Using sheeting or temporary screens to enclose the work to stop dust from escaping

Use of the HazardCo Demolition Safe Work Method template, available from the HazardCo HUB, will provide you with additional controls that may be suitable for your work.

Our team of health and safety experts are just a call away if you have any questions or would like to discuss further.

We’re going to run you through Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), which is a type of personal protective equipment (PPE) which protects people from inhaling substances that are hazardous to their health. These hazardous substances include airborne contaminants such as asbestos, hazardous chemicals and dust, fumes (such as welding fumes), and infectious substances, but you should keep in mind that RPE should also be worn to protect the wearer from low levels of oxygen such as working in confined spaces. 

But, before you even get started with RPE, make sure you have other practical control measures in place such as local exhaust ventilation to minimise or eliminate contaminants in the air. Also, keep an eye on your team’s health and workplace conditions to ensure that they aren’t injured or made sick by their work.

We’ve gone ahead and put together a quick guide of factors to consider when providing your workers with RPE. 

Types of RPE
Respirators that use filters remove contaminants from the air which the wearer will be breathing. Disposable respirators (often called dust masks) are good for short-term or one-off use and protect the wearer from harmful particles such as dust, fumes, fibres, and biological hazards such as bacteria or viruses. 

Powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) consist of headgear and fan assembly that take contaminated air, filters and removes a sufficient portion of these hazards, and then delivers the clean air to the user. These are also known as positive pressure masks, blower units, or blowers. 

Supplied air respirators provide a supply of clean air to the wearer from a source such as an air compressor or cylinder. It’s important to note that the air supply needs to be checked regularly to make sure that it is safe to use. 

Using RPE
It’s important for your workers to visually check their RPE for signs of damage before each use so that they can let you know if there are any issues, including whether it needs to be cleaned or decontaminated. 

Make sure your team stays safe by keeping their RPE on while working in the hazardous area. Removing it for even a short period of time could be a risk to their health.

If your workers are using RPE that requires a tight fit, make sure that they are checking it properly before entering the hazardous area. There are two fit checks which they need to do:

Keep in mind that if your worker’s safety glasses fog up while they are wearing a half-face respirator, this is a sign that there is a leak at the top of the respirator. 

Life Shavers: shaving your beard could save your life
When your workers are wearing respiratory protective equipment at work, they should be clean shaven to ensure it is forming a seal and protecting them from breathing in hazardous materials. Even a small amount of stubble can prevent RPE from sealing correctly which means your workers will still be inhaling harmful materials which may cause health concerns. A clean shave goes hand in hand with the correct RPE for the job.

It’s your responsibility to monitor your workers’ health. Make sure that you are completing regular Site Reviews on the HazardCo App, as this will help you to identify potential hazards and put effective plans in place.

Do you know what you need to do before you demolish or refurbish a property, building or structure? Find out what the asbestos regulations mean for you before doing any work.

Identifying Asbestos
Planning is key to identifying all potential hazards and the risks involved when doing any sort of demolition or refurbishment work. Asbestos can be found in buildings constructed or renovated before the year 2000 and as such it is more than likely to be present at your next job. 

You can find out more about where asbestos may be in Australian homes here.

Asbestos or asbestos containing material (ACM) must be identified and removed by a competent person before the demolition or refurbishment is started (unless demolition is required to gain access to the asbestos). Things to consider when planning your work:

• • Are there inaccessible areas that are likely to be disturbed during the demolition or refurbishment?
  • What is the type and condition of the asbestos or ACM?
  • What is the quantity of asbestos or ACM?
  • What is the method of demolition or refurbishment, and how will it affect the asbestos or ACM?
  • If asbestos is likely to be disturbed during demolition or refurbishment, can it be removed safely before work starts; if so, how can this be done

• Have I confirmed with my state safety regulator that they need to be informed of the proposed ACM removal works?

If the competent person is unsure whether asbestos is present it must be assumed that it is and all steps taken to mitigate the asbestos risks. If asbestos is identified you must notify all parties involved such as the homeowner, landlord, occupant and/or the contractor in control of the site.

Asbestos Management Plan
Any works where asbestos has been identified will require an asbestos management plan. This outlines where any asbestos or ACM has been identified. Your plan must contain the following:

• the identification of asbestos and ACM (eg where any signs and labels are located)
• decisions, and reasons for the decisions, about how the asbestos risks are managed (eg safe work procedures and control measures)
• procedures for recording incidents or emergencies involving asbestos in the workplace
• information about the workers carrying out work involving asbestos, including
  • information and training that has been or will be provided
  • their roles and responsibilities
  • any health monitoring that has been or will be conducted.

Other information may be included in the asbestos management plan, such as:

• a timetable for managing asbestos exposure risks (eg priorities and dates for removal, reviews, circumstances and activities that could affect the timing of action)
• procedures, including a timetable for reviewing and (if necessary) revising the asbestos management plan and asbestos documentation
• waste disposal
• air monitoring procedures, if required.

Emergency Planning
An emergency plan is required for demolition work where plant and structures contain asbestos. When developing the emergency procedure, you should consider:

• the work being done in the workplace or home
• hazards in the workplace or home
• the workplace or home’s size and location (eg remote location, multi-level site with shared services)
• the number of workers and other people who might be at the work site (eg workers on shifts, maintenance and cleaning personnel, customers, people working alone).

The procedure should include:

• how to respond effectively to an emergency
• evacuation procedures
• notifying emergency services
• getting help, including medical treatment
• effective communication between the person the PCBU authorises to co-ordinate the emergency response and the people at the work site
• provisions for regularly testing the procedure
• what information, training and instruction will be given to relevant workers about how to put the emergency procedure into effect.

The emergency procedure must be carried out if there is an emergency. 

If the plant or structure is not structurally sound or is going to collapse, make the area as safe as practical and notify your state safety regulator immediately.  

Disposal of Asbestos
Before demolition starts, think of how you are going to dispose of the waste. Having a good waste containment and disposal process is just as important as having safe processes for working with asbestos. 

Asbestos is considered special waste and special waste needs to be handled, buried, pre-treated or tested before it can be disposed of at the landfill. You need to make an application if you want to dispose of special waste.

Applications are often called special waste disposal declarations. Contact your local landfill to enquire about what they require before taking any material to them. 

Not all landfills or transfer stations are authorised disposal sites, check with your local council to find out where your local authorised site is. 

Double-bag all waste. All waste, including single-use masks and coveralls, cloths and plastic sheets should be double-bagged in heavy duty plastic bags. Twist the top of bags tightly, fold the necks over and seal with adhesive tape. Clearly mark the outer bag as asbestos waste. 

Check with your receiving landfill for further details especially around handling details. There are often restrictions around how the material is offloaded.

If using skip bins or wheelie bins on site, be aware that many providers of these bins do not allow asbestos to be disposed of in them. Check your provider first for approval.

Document your disposal process in your Asbestos management plan and Asbestos Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) considering the above.

As a HazardCo member you have access to a library of SWMS located in your Hub, which includes demolition and the removal of non-friable asbestos for anything less than 10m2. Use of these resources will help you to identify the hazards and risks in your workplace and the recommended controls.

Our team of Health and Safety Advisors are here to help you with anything you are unsure of, give us a call on 1800 954 702, option 4.

Excavation work generally involves heavy machinery hazards and the need to manage vehicle and foot traffic on-site. Making sure you understand these hazards and how best to minimise these risks is key to ensuring the safety of those working in and around excavations.

Pre-start checks
Always check your equipment is fit for use at the beginning of each day.

A trained and competent machinery operator should be conducting a pre-start check before use. This gives you certainty that your equipment is good to go for the day and won’t cause you any unexpected problems or delays. Things to check are:

Visual checks before turning the equipment on:

• Fluid and oil levels are sufficient and no leaks
• Battery is clean and charged
• Safety mechanisms are in place, working and not damaged
• Warning signage is in place and readable
• Attachments, clips and pins are in working order and without damage
• Hydraulics are undamaged and lubricated

Stationary function test while equipment is on:

• Horn and reversing alarm sound
• Control panel, lights and pedals are all fully operational
• Bucket and arms fully extend and tilt as required

Moving function test:

• Steering is in good order
• Brakes function

We recommend using your manufacturer’s pre operational check sheet and keeping these records with your equipment. Use of the HazardCo Heavy Machinery Prestart checklist will help you cover these specific checks.

Traffic Management
Managing excavations risks also means managing the risks of other contributing factors such as traffic. Keeping vehicles and pedestrians clear of heavy machinery and excavation works could mean you’re going to need a traffic management plan. When putting your traffic management plan in place you’ll need to consider the following:

• Directing traffic, including cyclist and pedestrians if applicable
• Delivery and set down areas and schedules
• Worksite layout, speed limits, traffic flow, fencing/barrier placement and exclusion zones
• Safe loading/unloading and turning/reversing practices
• Site restrictions such as noise or traffic volume 
• When the site is unattended and how the excavations are being managed at these times
• Emergency procedures

Having a traffic management plan in place and discussing this at the time of site inductions means everyone entering the site is aware of the site rules, safe practices and expectations before commencing work.

If you need assistance with a traffic management plan, please contact the advisory team at HazaradCo and we will happily talk you through the requirements.

Zone of Influence
Know your limits

Heavy machinery, as its name suggests, is heavy and carries a lot of weight. If being operated too close to excavations it can affect the stability of your excavations causing them to collapse. All heavy vehicles, material and spoil should remain out of the zone of influence plus a metre unless specific designs are in place showing it can support such weight bearing.

Tip-over
Uneven and unstable grounds can often lead to machinery tip-over. Tip-overs can cause serious injuries or worse, fatalities. Know the ground conditions you are working with and make sure you are following the outlined safety rules for your site. Ensure the following points are considered:

• the site operator must have systems to ensure work is planned and operating areas assessed prior to work by the supervisor and machine operator
• digger operators do a dynamic risk assessment before starting each job
• the safest route is selected when moving and excavator around the site
• there is never digging underneath an excavator
• work is always carried out a safe distance from the edge of a face
• Standard Operating Procedures should be written where possible
• work areas are designed to control the hazards
• roll-over protection is fitted to all cabs including excavators, and ensure operators
• wear seat belts and keep doors closed
• there are always two exits from the excavator.

If you would like more information or to chat with one of our friendly Advisory team please give us a call on 1800 954 702

What is excavation work? 

Moving or removing earth or other materials with tools or equipment is generally classed as excavation work. Excavations are used in a number of different situations, such as during the construction of buildings, building retaining walls, and installing underground utilities. 

It is important that you use the Dial before you Dig service before carrying out excavations to identify any underground utilities or services. 

Some common types of excavations used in residential construction are cut and fill excavating, pile holes, potholing, and trench excavation: 

Cut & Fill

Cut and fill excavation, also known as stripping excavation, is the method used to clear and prepare large areas. This method involves removing all of the material such as rock, sand, and topsoil that would be unstable to work on.

Pile Holes
Pile holes are usually excavated using methods including backhoe digger, drilling or hydro excavation. Pile holes should be covered and barricaded as soon as possible and only those involved in the works allowed nearby. Water buildup should be monitored and pumped out. 

Potholing
Potholing is simply a small excavation or hole to inspect and find underground services. It’s important that potholes are covered or barricaded when they are not being used to prevent anyone from being hurt.

Trenching
Trenching is an excavation method used to prepare or replace underground utilities, build retaining walls, or investigate what is beneath the surface.

Trenches are long narrow excavations, and are deeper than they are wide. Conducting trench excavation is subject to many different factors including its size, the likelihood of underground utilities, and materials. This means that the most effective method of excavation changes from project to project, and should always be treated with caution.

Due to the scale of some of these operations, it is common that they usually require large excavation vehicles and good controls around traffic management should be in place.

Managing the risk
No matter how deep the excavation is, if there is a risk of collapse, you need to carry out a Risk Assessment and put controls in place to prevent this. You will also need to complete an excavation SWMS in your Hub. Excavation work is classed as high risk, so it is important that if you are completing excavations, that you are familiar with the guidance for Excavations Safety.

The SafeWork Australia Excavations Code can be found here 

The Worksafe Victoria Excavations Code can be found here

Covering or bridging.
When covering holes or bridging shallow trenches on building sites, ensure that the material used to cover or bridge is made from a suitable material. Heavy-duty plywood designed for weight-bearing, steel plates, or other products specifically designed for that purpose. 

For holes, ensure they are fully covered and the covering cannot easily move. Avoid slip and trip hazards by ensuring walkways around these hazards are managed. 

Water hazards after rain can create a drowning risk, especially for children. It can also increase the risk of sidewall collapse. 

Types of barriers
A secure site is very important with any open excavation. You need to consider how long the excavations will stay exposed, and if an excavation is to be left unattended overnight, then consider plating, fully enclosing with a safety fence, or backfilling to minimise the risks. Barricades, cones, plastic mesh netting not supported by a solid frame, and hurdles are not sufficient to adequately protect from excavation risks. We recommend safety fences for internal fencing for long-term or unattended worksites where excavation hazards are present

Understand your competency level
Any type of excavation work requires some level of competency to manage it safely. As a guide 

For excavations up to 1.5m deep, you should have recent experience in carrying out or supervising excavation work of this type

1.5m – 3m deep you should have recent experience in carrying out or supervising excavation work at these depths, technical or trade qualification (eg a civil engineer or drain layer)

3m and more you should have a Technical or trade qualification (eg a civil engineer or drain layer). Experienced temporary works designer able to judge whether it is safe. 

Make sure you are aware of your requirements for managing the risks of excavation.

If you need a hand getting started or would like more information, get in touch with the friendly HazardCo team today – we’re always happy to help.

With the HazardCo App, it’s as easy as picking up a smartphone to stay on top of on-site health and safety activity. And that’s the case for absolutely anyone on-site, from the foreman or site supervisor, to team members, contractors and their crew, as well as any site visitors.

There are two key parts to the HazardCo system, the Hub and the App: 

• The Hub is your record of everything and everyone in one place – your online tool for managing and viewing H&S across all of your projects. 

• The App puts H&S in the palm of your hand – and everyone else’s hands on-site too. App Users on your account use the App to complete H&S activity for your site, following the straight forward guides and forms to ensure they’ve ticked all the boxes when it comes to identifying and managing H&S risks. And everyone else on-site including contractors and visitors, scans on and off site and completes site inductions with the HazardCo App – simply scanning the QR code on the HazardCo Hazard Board.

As the business owner, a lot of responsibility for H&S sits with you. However, with HazardCo’s digital system, it’s easy to add key team members to your account as App users, meaning any one of you can use the App to complete on-site H&S activity and those day-to-day tasks can be delegated or shared with others. All completed activity lands back in the Hub under your Project Overview, which you can review from anywhere and at any time.

The App features all of the key H&S activities you should be doing on-site, including SWMS, Risk Assessment, Site Review, Toolbox Meeting, Vehicle Checklist, or to Report an Incident. What’s more, if your subbies are also HazardCo members, they can use the App to scan onto your site and share any of their completed H&S activity directly to your Hub using the QuickShare feature on the App.

Learn more about all of the features on the HazardCo App and see just how straightforward it makes H&S for you and the team… this video overviews the HazardCo App, showing you all you need to know. Nothing beats the feeling of confidence you’ll get from being a HazardCo member.

Excavation is among the most hazardous construction operations. Therefore, to protect your workers from injuries, measures should be implemented to minimise the risks around excavations.

Planning the work
Planning involves identifying the hazards, assessing the risks, and deciding suitable controls in consultation with everyone involved in the work. Remember to consider the unique characteristics of the site. This should include the principal contractor, excavation contractor, structural engineers, mobile plant operators, employees undertaking the work, and Health and Safety Representatives

Controlling excavation risks
Common risks to be considered when planning excavation works are:

• Securing the work area
  Ensure excavations are suitably fenced at all times with barriers strong enough not to collapse if someone leans or falls against them. Where possible, cover excavations if not working in or near them, or backfill immediately once work is completed.
  *Members of the public need to be prevented from entering the excavation site when it is unattended. Trenches should be covered to prevent unauthorized entry.

• Falling from height
  Working at height involves if a person could fall from one level to another.

• Ground Collapse
  Ground collapse is one of the main risks of excavation work. You can prevent collapse by use of trench shields, positive ground support (shoring), benching or battering back. Do not assume the ground will stand unsupported. Ground collapse prevention methods need to be designed in accordance with appropriate engineering principles and published Australian Standards. 

It is important that materials are not placed or stacked near the edge of the excavation or inside the ‘zone of influence’ unless the ground conditions allow for it or a ground support system has been installed which has been designed to carry such loads

• Safe access and egress
  Provide safe access and egress for all workers at all times. Ensure you keep the floor of the excavation clear of anything that would obstruct workers’ safely exiting  in an emergency

• Overhead and underground services
  Dial before you dig, and make yourself aware of the unseen services below and above that could be a risk to your works. 

• Ground & surface water
  Workers should not work in excavations where water has collected or is collecting unless the necessary controls are in place.

Emergency procedures
An employer must establish emergency procedures before construction work is undertaken if there is a risk of a person becoming engulfed by soil or other material when the work is performed

Notification of construction excavation work
Unless certain exemptions apply (i.e. a mine, a bore, a quarry, for the purpose of undertaking emergency work, made for the rescue of any person, made for the use as a place of burial), WorkSafe Victoria must be notified in writing at least three days before work starts on an excavation that will be of sufficient dimensions or depth to allow the entry of a person, or if there will be a risk to the health or safety of any person from the excavation. You can notify WorkSafe Victoria here.

For more information on work that needs to be notified to WorkSafe, including notifiable events and incidents, click here.

Keeping you and your workmates safe at work is a priority, so make sure you are aware of your requirements of managing the risks of excavation.


The Site Review and SWMS features on the HazardCo App have a list of risk controls that should be in place to minimise the risk associated with excavation work.


If you need a hand getting started or would like more information, get in touch with the friendly HazardCo team today – we’re always happy to help.

Homes built or renovated  between 1950 and 2000 are likely to contain some asbestos. Therefore, every tradesperson is likely to come into contact with asbestos at work sooner or later. That’s why it’s important for you to understand how to manage the risk from working with or near asbestos, and how to protect yourself and others from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. 

Surveying and Testing

Areas that we recommend getting tested are cladding, roofing, vinyl, fibre cement sheeting, internal ceilings, and plumbing lagging.

There are 3 main types of testing or surveying; Management, Refurbishment, and Demolition, and each of these is designed for a specific purpose.

• Asbestos Management Survey: Are designed to locate asbestos in a property. This survey is typically used prior to minor maintenance work or to help manage any potential risks associated with asbestos.

• Asbestos Refurbishment Survey: Are designed to locate asbestos in a property before major work commences.

• Asbestos Demolition Survey: Are designed to locate asbestos in a property before it is demolished. This survey is also designed to give clearance to the area once demolition has been completed. 

It is important that when you are conducting work that requires planning permission, it is likely that you will require a demolition or refurbishment survey to search for asbestos present. As the contractor, you have a legal requirement to ensure asbestos is identified and removed before any work begins that may disturb the asbestos in your client’s home. 

You can refer to the SafeWork Australia website  for more details on asbestos here

Discovering Asbestos

What to do if you or your workers uncover or damage materials that may contain asbestos:

• Stop work immediately. 
• Keep people away. 
• Minimise the risk of spreading contamination to other areas.
• Get advice from an expert such as an asbestos assessor or a suitably qualified health and safety consultant. You can call our advisory team on 0800 555 339 and we will guide you through your next steps. 

Removing asbestos 

• All friable asbestos removal work must be carried out by a licensed asbestos removalist. This includes work on asbestos lagging, asbestos insulation, and damaged asbestos board. 
• If more than 10 m2 of non-friable asbestos has to be removed during a project, it must be removed by a licensed asbestos removalist. 
• You can refer here for a register of Licensed Asbestos removalists .

You can view the SafeWork Australia  website to find out how to apply the 10 m2 rule to an object that is not flat, such as asbestos piping and other frequently asked questions relating to Asbestos Licensing here

Are you conducting renovations? Did you know that the same risks apply as a new build that you need to consider when it comes to health and safety on-site? Here’s the low-down on what you need to know.

Firstly,  think about how you will manage health and safety on-site and how you will communicate this with other people involved in the build, such as the homeowner, or other contractors on-site. This will ensure that everyone is on top of the site hazards and practicing good health and safety during your build. 

HazardCo Site Packs

A HazardCo Site Pack is ordered for each significant job, such as a new house build. They contain site-specific resources for that job, including:

• A Site Specific Safety Plan , 
• Scan in board with QR code for sign-in,
• An optional site specific Hazard Board 

How can you determine whether you need to order a HazardCo Site Pack?

• Are you the main contractor?

The main contractor should be the one that creates a Site Specific Safety Plan for that work, and this should be shared with all subcontractors involved. This will ensure workers are aware of the risks and hazards that are involved in the job at hand. Throughout the job, there should be ongoing communication between all parties, and the risks reviewed regularly on-site

• How long will the renovation take?

Anything over 2 weeks should require a Site Pack, however, it will depend on the project that is being undertaken. If you are unsure, just give the HazardCo team a call on 1800 954 702and we will guide you through it.

• Will you be making any structural changes?

Using a Site Specific Safety Plan will help identify the controls that will be put in place to manage this risk, generally, this type of work can take time, and therefore we recommend ordering a Site Pack and using the HazardCo App to assist your health and safety needs onsite.

• Will you be engaging subcontractors?

If subcontractors are going to be engaged in the work, then a Site Pack will likely be needed, but this also depends on the type of work and length of the job. So if you’re unsure, just give us a call and we will be happy to assist.

• How old is the building?

Any property built before the year 2000, could contain asbestos. Using a Site Specific Safety Plan helps identify the controls that will be put in place to manage this risk. We will go into more depth about the dangers of asbestos next week.

A few recommendations from HazardCo

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. Due to the nature of renovation work, It is important that you consider noise and dust and how you control these risks.

At the end of the day, make sure that you tidy up the work area and ensure that everything is made safe. If the work area cannot be entered after hours due to work or health and safety risks then this should be clearly communicated to your client.  We recommend that this is also documented to them via an email or text message so you have evidence that this has been communicated.

Remember to use the HazardCo App to report any incidents or near misses on your site. You will receive a confirmation email that will help guide you through the next steps.

Also, remember to record your Toolbox Meetings with your team. We recommend that you complete 2 Toolbox Meetings per site, per month. This demonstrates good consultation and communication with your team. 

If you have any questions about your renovation work, give our friendly HazardCo Team a call, so don’t be shy – get in touch with us and we’ll help you make your site a safer one.