scaffolding compliance campaign - worksafe … compliance campaign heads of workplace safety...

www.worksafe.qld.gov.au

Scaffolding Compliance CampaignHeads of Workplace Safety Authority

Name:Position:

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland www.worksafe.qld.gov.au


Background• Following two high profile fatalities in New South

Wales and Queensland, the Heads of Workplace Safety Authority (HWSA) launched a Scaffolding compliance and enforcement campaign across all jurisdictions.

• Phase one of this campaign measured worksite compliance against Australian Standard (AS) 1576 – Scaffolding.


Key objectives• Increase the level of scaffold compliance within

the construction industry.• Determine the current level of compliance to

AS 1576.• Determine areas of non- compliance.


Scope• Scaffolding inspected:

– prefabricated– aluminium– trestle– swinging stages

• This does not include scaffolding under two metres in height (from working platforms) or workplaces that are not construction sites.


National compliance levels• An inspection of 842 sites showed that only 59

per cent of scaffolding complied with AS 1576.

• Industry compliance:– 67 per cent of commercial sites– 49 per cent of housing sites– 62 per cent of demolition and asbestos removal sites.


Issues identified nationally• General scaffolding:

– 85 per cent of footings were inadequate– 16 per cent of safety measures for over head power

lines (OHPL) were inadequate– 74 per cent of ties were inadequate– 81 per cent of bracing was inadequate– 22 per cent of access to scaffolding was not

adequate.


Example 1

• Some footings that were found to be inadequate and placement on sole boards.


Example 2

• Safe access to scaffolding


Issues identified nationally• Suspended scaffolding:

– 11 per cent of businesses did not inspect scaffolding daily– 20 per cent of businesses did not inspect scaffolding every 30

days– 7 per cent of businesses did not train staff adequately– 9 per cent of scaffolding cradles were not in good condition– 38 per cent did not have adequate access to scaffolding– 30 per cent did not have a secondary rope– 33 per cent did not have counter weights– 43 per cent of scaffolding was not as per drawings.


Queensland inspections• 246 inspections across Queensland.• This represents 29 per cent of inspections

carried out nationally.• Types of scaffolding used:

– prefabricated– suspended– tube and coupler.

• Prefabricated scaffolding used in a majority of work sites across Queensland.


Commercial vs. domestic audits(By region)

Number of commercial and domestic scaffold audits by region

60

39

16

21

1413

23

18

27

9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

BNSC BSGC CQ NQ SWCommercial Domestic


Queensland compliance results

• An inspection of 246 sites across Queensland showed that 59 per cent of sites inspected in Queensland comply with AS 1576.

• This result is in line with national compliance results.


Notices issued• 139 notices issued throughout Queensland:

– 92 improvement notices– 43 prohibition notices– 4 infringement notices.

• These figures are higher than national results, however this may be due to alternate penalty types being available in other states.


Notice type by region


Notice type by regionNumber of penalty types by region

16

25

10

30

11

2 2

5

24

3

8

3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

BNSC BSGC CQ NQ SWImprovement Notice Penalty Prohibition


Notices issued• Notices were issued for various issues:

– 16 per cent issued for maintenance issues– 8 per cent issued for access issues– 8 per cent issued for issues relating to ties– 56 per cent issued for other issues.


Non-compliance issues by region

• Other non-compliance issues account for 56 per cent of the total number of notices issued.


Non- compliance issues by region• ‘Other’ consisted of:

– decks not cleaned/poor access– footings for scaffold not appropriate– sole boards/ base plates incorrectly installed and toe boards

missing– erosion under and around sole boards– standards not protected from collision from plant and vehicles on

site– no scaffold plans– scaffold not signed off– internal gap in excess of 225 mm.


Example 1

• Erosion under and around sole boards.


Example 2

• Internal gap in excess of 225 mm.• Lap-boards missing and not captured.


Non-compliance issues by regionNumber of commercial and domestic scaffold audits by region

60

39

16

21

1413

23

18

27

9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

BNSC BSGC CQ NQ SWCommercial Domestic


Where to from here…• Advisory campaign

– Information sessions, fact sheets.• Enforcement campaign.

– Further inspections, commencing late May 2010.• Evaluation of second audit campaign results.


Further information• Visit www.worksafe.qld.gov.au

• Phone Infoline 1300 369 915

• Sign up for eNEWS (free email subscription service) at www.worksafe.qld.gov.au.

scaffolding compliance campaign - worksafe … compliance campaign heads of workplace safety...

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