Close to $1 million in fines have been issued at the halfway point of SafeWork NSW’s 12-month blitz on falls from heights.

The Working at Heights in Construction campaign followed a concerning rise in the number of serious injuries and deaths attributed to falls from heights, resulting in 17 people killed between 2018 and 2022.

“As we pass the halfway point of SafeWork’s Working at Heights in Construction compliance blitz it is important to note that falls from heights are still the number one cause of traumatic fatalities on NSW construction sites,” SafeWork NSW head Trent Curtin says.

“While it is encouraging that 65% of the industry is using the highest form of safety measures, this means that 35% are not and this needs to change. Otherwise, businesses run the risk of workplace accidents as well as fines and prosecution.”

Since May 2023, SafeWork Inspectors have visited 1,218 worksites resulting in 1,499 improvement notices, 727 prohibition notices and 352 penalty notices amounting to $972,000.

The blitz has seen inspectors visit several commercial and residential sites across the state as well as conducting high visibility checks in manufacturing and warehouse industries in addition to inspections in the transport industry leading up to a busy Christmas period.

During their fieldwork, inspectors gauged that 65% of the industry is using the highest form of safety measures as their first choice including the use of fall prevention devices, such as roof guardrails and scaffolding, rather than fall arrest systems such as harnesses.

SafeWork will continue to prioritise the safety of workers at heights in 2024 with continuing inspections, starting with a blitz on the safe installation of rooftop solar panels this month.

Contractors and builders are obligated to protect workers by identifying height risks and taking steps to control these hazards as far as reasonably practical by implementing higher-order controls.

Workers who have concerns about workplace health and safety can anonymously contact SafeWork on 13 10 50 or through the Speak Up Save Lives app.

More information relating to working from heights can be found on the SafeWork website.