With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, SafeWork NSW is urging site managers and workers to not rush or cut corners when it comes to meeting end-of-year deadlines.

They are also being reminded to safely secure their sites heading into the Christmas break.

“Our tradies are widely considered the backbone of our state’s economy and SafeWork is committed to ensuring they make it home safely up until the end of the year,” SafeWork NSW head Trent Curtin says.

“We want all our workers to make it to this break safely, so SafeWork is asking those working on construction sites across the state to continue upholding safe work practices despite the festive season approaching. Coming into the end of year, there can be a tendency on worksites around the state for employees to rush through jobs in an attempt to meet end-of-year deadlines.”

Two recent incidents demonstrate how important it is for workers to slow down and ensure workplace hazards are properly managed.

SafeWork’s pocket-size guide to construction safety has useful information on common health and safety issues on construction sites, including working at heights, falling objects, moving plant and electricity.

The Christmas and New Year break is the longest shutdown in the construction industry, and unsecured sites can pose a great risk to the community during the school holidays, so it is important that worksites have adequate fencing and gates are locked.

Before closing for the year, site managers and workers should ensure:

• Power is switched off to their site
• Debris is cleared
• Access is blocked to elevated floors, scaffolding, and ladders
• Plant and equipment, tools, chemicals and dangerous goods are secured
• Water drums are emptied
• Appropriate signage is erected, including an after-hours contact number.
• Cover voids, pits, trenches and pier holes
• Cap all exposed reinforcement bars

SafeWork urges all site managers and workers to fill out SafeWork’s online and interactive site shutdown checklist, to make certain they are ready to leave their site unattended during the holidays.