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WHS lessons from Major Transport & Infrastructure projects
The South Australian Safety Symposium 2023 highlighted strategies for improving workplace safety, emphasizing the need for proactive leadership, worker involvement, and cultural shifts towards safety. Significant incidents were discussed, including serious injuries related to temporary fencing and loading operations, prompting the introduction of safety solutions such as retention mechanisms and the prohibition of unsafe practices. The document also addresses psychosocial hazards, underlining a commitment to support workers' mental health and creating a strong safety culture within the construction sector.
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WHS lessons from Major Transport & Infrastructure projects
- 1. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Friday 20th October2023 South Australian Safety Symposium 2023
- 2. OFFICIAL We acknowledge theTraditional Custodians of the Country throughout South Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land and waters. We pay our respects to the diversity of cultures; significance of contributions and to Elders past, present and emerging.
- 3. OFFICIAL Background Deaths Nationally andSA were due to: • Falls Trips Slips • Hitting object with part of the body • Sound and pressure • Body stressing • Chemicals and other substances • Biological factors • Mental Stress
- 4. OFFICIAL Sharing learnings fromincidents • A tragic fatality at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site in February 2016 impelled DIT to intensify efforts to make all work sites under its control safer. • October 2016 the first DIT/Industry Safety Forum was established. Initiative continues today – via Industry Safety Leadership Forum. • Ongoing implementation of strategies to ensure that everybody can operate to a leading level of safety.
- 5. OFFICIAL An Avoidable Incidentresulting in serious injury Sharing learnings from incidents • The injured person was unlocking a temporary fence gate, when two of his fingers got caught in between the fence pole and the mesh. The worker lost balance and stumbled pulling his weight down causing amputation of his middle finger to the first knuckle and the removal of the finger-nail to his ring finger.
- 6. OFFICIAL The Learnings Sharing learningsfrom incidents • Eliminating the need to reach into the temporary fence to unlock the padlock gate. Gate panels across Contractor's site will now have a gate wheel fitted. • Inferior fence panels from supplier will now not be accepted across Contractors sites. • Non-compliant installation and setup of temporary fencing across sites
- 7. OFFICIAL Solution “The Wheel” •Cultural Shift • Solution shared with and adopted by other Contractors
- 8. OFFICIAL An Avoidable Incidentresulting in serious injury Sharing learnings from incidents • The injured (IP) person was working with an articulated Mobile Crane Operator to load several 7 metre lengths of steel road safety barriers onto a flatbed truck. During the activity, the worker was pinned between the headboard of the flatbed truck and one the steel road safety barriers. The IP sustained lower leg fractures and lacerations.
- 9. OFFICIAL • Relocating steelroad safety barriers required lifting them from the road surface and then carrying them to the bed of a semi-trailer for subsequent loading and removal to a laydown yard; • The Intermediate Rigger (the injured worker) accessed the rear bed of the semi-trailer using the stairs provided; • The steel Road Safety Barrier became fouled on a steel post which formed part of the semi-trailer’s edge protection; the worker then attempted to release the barrier which caused a pendulum or swinging effect; • The steel road safety barrier then struck the Riggers lower legs twice, resulting in the injuries. Share Learnings from incidents
- 10. OFFICIAL Solution • Workers arebanned from accessing the back of trucks; • Retention mechanisms such as extendable & articulated forks, barrier grab attachments to be used to eliminate/reduce the need for human interaction. • The use of a lock out system (e.g., padlock, spring gate) to be used on all trucks, only released once a load is safely landed. • Use of a “Safe T Stik” to be used. These can often have greater control than a tag line. • Review of Lifting SWMS and barrier loading/installation was completed. Lifting Grab
- 11. OFFICIAL Let’s start with…..Establishinga great Safety Culture • Proactive Leadership – leaders at all levels influencing other people’s safety attitudes and behaviours • Consulting & Involving Workers – Involving workers in decisions about doing their work safely. Encourage and value their participation
- 12. OFFICIAL Consistent level ofsafety performance Confined Space Worker Behaviors Demolition Cranes & Lifting Load Restraint Exclusion and restricted Access Zones Overhead and Underground Services Mobile Plant & Vehicles Trenching & Excavation Power tools and Equipment Working at Height
- 13. OFFICIAL Challenges and Opportunities TrafficManagement Devices and Controls. Site Supervisor safety training. Austroads National Training requirements Safety Influencers working groups currently focusing on three key safety improvement initiatives:
- 14. OFFICIAL Artificial intelligence Virtual Realityenhancing plant safety Using microlearning to improve site safety
- 15. OFFICIAL Psychosocial hazards Is anemerging key safety area. We need to ensure the way work is designed, organized and managed, is considered in such a way as to support worker mental, emotional, social and spiritual health. Department for Infrastructure and Transport requires its contractors to make available support resources for workers.
- 16. OFFICIAL Psychosocial hazards 3249 people havedied through suicide nationally in 2022 Under 25 Young Construction workers are ten times more likely to be at risk of suicide than dying of a work-related incident 2455 were men, 794 were women 190-200 Construction workers died in 2022 (one every 2nd day) Many of our contractors fly the flag for Mates in Construction including DIT.
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- 18. OFFICIAL • We allown safety • Set the right environment to establish, encourage and maintain an effective and ‘great’ safety culture. • Define and demand a consistent standard of safety performance. Mistakes will happen. Learn from the mistakes. Monitor regularly. Share the learnings. • Get buy in. Involve all workers, collaborate with industry partners to identify issues and solutions.
- 19. OFFICIAL No IP inSafety https://www.dit.sa.gov.au/safety-in-construction/safety-resources-for-contractors
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Editor's Notes
- #5 Our civil partners are sharing safety alerts and learnings across their National businesses, thus minimising the likelihood of similar incidents occurring.