27 August 2012

Construction industry to cop an inquiry over their crappy safety record

| johnboy
Join the conversation
6

Simon Corbell has announced that the death toll in Canberra’s construction industry has reached the point where he needs an inquiry running to get him past the election:

Attorney General, Simon Corbell, has today announced that Ms Lynelle Briggs has been appointed to Chair a major inquiry into ACT health and safety laws in the local construction industry.

The inquiry will be supported by the ACT Work Safety Commissioner, Mark McCabe, and will have powers under the Work Health and Safety Act to take submissions, call for papers and question witnesses.

“Since December last year there have been four workplace deaths, three of which have been on construction sites, and this is, put simply, four too many,” Mr Corbell said.

“This inquiry is specifically designed to look at issues of health and safety closely as well as where there can be tighter regulation to better protect workers who work in this high risk industry.

“The inquiry will consider issues such as compliance with current laws and regulatory regimes, on-site behavioural or cultural issues; training requirements or participation rates and powers available to WorkSafe ACT and other regulatory bodies.”

One does have to wonder if the standards are this bad on an OH&S level what are they like for the ongoing integrity of the buildings?

Join the conversation

6
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
Whitepointer6:09 pm 29 Aug 12

MelonHead said :

Isn’t Rule 1 of any enquiry to know the outcome you want before you start?

MelonHead said :

Isn’t Rule 1 of any enquiry to know the outcome you want before you start?

Yep you got it in one.

Isn’t Rule 1 of any enquiry to know the outcome you want before you start?

Whitepointer5:37 am 29 Aug 12

wildturkeycanoe said :

What if we were to have a public inquiry into the financial misappropriations of the government, headed by a project manager of one of our construction empires? Just wouldn’t sit right with the PS or community at large, so why get someone who has probably rarely donned a hard hat figure out what [if anything] is wrong with the construction industry? An unbiased view perhaps or a neutral adjudicator. I cannot see any good come out of this, considering it is these kinds of people who come up with our safety policies in the first place.

+1
The LDA making unrealistic promises & completion dates to the ACT Government in terms of number of house blocks to be released in 2012-2013 & not to mention other infrastructure projects.

Developers in turn, pushing contractors to the absolute limit forcing workers to do ridiculous hours seven days a week. Eventually something has to give, & unfortunately these practices have taken the lives of four workers in the process.
As for the quality of works going on around Canberra, combine the push push attitude of various Gov Dept’s with the lowest tender contractors (with existing questionable safety records & work methods) being awarded major projects it is a recipe for disaster.
If this enquiry is conducted correctly, the ACT Government will not like it’s findings one little bit!
I am non Union, have worked on both sides of the fence civil & commercial industry (old NCDC & private) in Canberra spanning over 56 yrs & have never seen it so bad.

wildturkeycanoe9:19 pm 28 Aug 12

What if we were to have a public inquiry into the financial misappropriations of the government, headed by a project manager of one of our construction empires? Just wouldn’t sit right with the PS or community at large, so why get someone who has probably rarely donned a hard hat figure out what [if anything] is wrong with the construction industry? An unbiased view perhaps or a neutral adjudicator. I cannot see any good come out of this, considering it is these kinds of people who come up with our safety policies in the first place.

Bloody bleeding hearts. You have to expect to use up a few peasants in any construction project.

I would have thought that the Coroner’s findings in each case would have been essential to the enquiry.

Not aware that any of these cases has been before the Court.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.