The construction industry comes with substantial health and safety risks. According to Safe Work Australia, construction came in third (after transport and agriculture) for workplace fatalities in the five years to 2019. The main causes of fatalities include falls from height (e.g. ladders, buildings, scaffolding), vehicle collisions, contact with electricity and being hit by falling or moving objects.

Common types of non-fatal injuries in construction include musculoskeletal and connective tissue injuries, fractures, burns and wounds. Causes of these include body stressing (such as from lifting and carrying), slips, trips and falls, and being hit by moving objects.

Another issue that doesn’t get so much attention in construction is the mental health of workers. Statistics show that construction workers are far more likely to die from suicide than from workplace accidents.

So if you run a business in construction, managing the risks to physical and mental health and safety are top priorities!

Here are some tips for making this happen.

Falls from height

Consider whether a task could be managed from ground level. If not, the use of protective systems such as guardrails and harness is crucial.

Safe use of ladders is essential. This includes a 4 to 1 angle, maintaining three points of contact, always facing the ladder when ascending or descending, and avoiding overreaching.

Defective ladders such as those with cracks or broken or missing rungs should never be used.

Collisions and strikes with vehicles and objects

Equipment such as zero-tail swing excavators, traffic controllers or lights, and crash avoidance technology can help prevent collisions with vehicles.

Useful measures to protect people from being hit by falling objects include the use of nets, guardrails, chutes and the isolation of hazardous areas.

Electricity and fire

You should ensure any electrical equipment you use in your workplace is fully compliant with Australian standards and is used safely and correctly.

To prevent fires, it’s important that rags, scrap timber, flammable liquids and other combustibles are separated from sources of heat and ignition, such as welders and heat guns.

Slips, trips and falls

These are very common events. You can reduce the risk by putting preventative procedures in place – such as isolation of wet areas, and checking for trip and fall hazards on a daily basis.

Manual handling

Manual handling tasks can lead to body stressing injuries, such as muscle and joint sprains and strains. These risks can be lowered by using platforms and trolleys to move items, reducing load sizes, and by providing full training on lifting and carrying techniques.

Mental health

To prevent mental health issues at work, it’s important to take steps to create a mentally healthy workplace as much as possible and to regularly check in on your workers. SafeWork NSW has some useful tips for this.