WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1983
13
MORE SAFETY FOR PEOPLE WORKING AT HEIGHTS
******
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON APPROVED A SET OF NEW REGULATIONS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE MORE PROTECTION FOR PEOPLE WORKING AT HEIGHTS.
MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION SITES (SAFETY) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1983, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON NEIL HENDERSON, POINTED OUT THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS IN ANY SINGLE INDUSTRY. IN 1982, THERE WERE 19 198 ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING 74 FATALITIES, IN THE CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY. +FALLS OF PERSONS+ ACCOUNTED FOR 2 874, INCLUDING 35 FATALITIES.
THE FALLS OF PERSONS+ ACCIDENTS LARGELY INVOLVED WORKERS FALLING FROM SCAFFOLDS OR PLATFORMS WITHOUT ADEQUATE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, OR WORKING NEAR UNFENCED OPENINGS, CORNERS OR EDGES.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE 35 FATAL ACCIDENTS REVEALED THAT 10 PERSONS FELL FROM SCAFFOLDS, SEVEN FROM WORKING PLATFORMS, SIX OVER FLOOR EDGES OR FLOOR OPENINGS AND THREE FROM LADDERS.
HE SAID THAT THESE ASPECTS OF SAFETY ARE AT PRESENT DEALT WITH BY REGULATION 45 OF THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS, WHICH REQUIRES GENERALLY THAT WORKING PLATFORMS, FLOOR OPENINGS AND OTHER DANGEROUS PLACES SHOULD BE SECURELY FENCED TO A HEIGHT OF NOT LESS THAN THREE FEET OR TO BE "OTHERWISE PROTECTED TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE COMMISSIONER'
THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE AMENDMENT REGULATIONS, MR HENDERSON EXPLAINED, WERE TO MAKE MORE DETAILED PROVISIONS BY CREATING 19 MORE SPECIFIC REGULATIONS FOR SAFETY OF WORKING AT HEIGHT TO REPLACE REGULATION 45.
UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS, THERE MUST BE SAFE ACCESS TO AND EXIT FROM EVERY WORKPLACE AND SUITABLE SCAFFOLDS OR LADDERS FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT. ANY ERECTION ALTERATION AND DISMANTLING OF SCAFFOLDS MUST BE UNDERTAKEN BY COMPETENT WORKERS AND UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF COMPETENT PERSONS.
PROPER CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF SCAFFOLDS AND LADDERS, AND OF BOATSWAIN'S CHAIRS WERE SPECIFIED.
A SCAFFOLD MUST BE INSPECTED AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH BY A COMPETENT PERSON WHO SHOULD REPORT IN THE PRESCRIBED FORM TO THE CONTRACTOR CONCERNED.
WORKING PLATFORMS AND GANGWAYS, MR HENDERSON ADDED, MUST BE
AND OPENINGS. PROPERLY CONSTRUCTED AND GUARDED BY RAILINGS CORNERS, EDGES AND OTHER DANGEROUS PLACES MUST BE SECURELY FENCED TO PREVENT WORKERS FROM FALLING.
CATATICKS
+