AR Interactive, NSW Construction Site Safety Guide 2023/24 has produced a safety app targeting young workers and apprentices.

In conjunction with Master Builders Association of NSW (MBA NSW), the Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA), Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association of Australia (CSDAA) and endorsed by the National Safety Council of Australia Foundation (NSCA), the Guide aids in recognising and controlling key hazards with the latest WHS regulatory guidelines and framework focused on proactive prevention of injury, ill-health and essential information in order to help create a workplace safety culture of Zero Harm.

“Health and safety strategies and accident prevention measures need to be individualised and adapted to the type of worker most likely to be at risk, shaping a culture of safety for Young Workers and Apprentices,” Pro-Visual Publishing chief executive officer John Hutchings says.

“Having complementary WHS Management Systems allows businesses to anticipate, adapt and respond to the risks and opportunities created by a highly innovative industry like Construction.”

Designed to be displayed in the workplace, the AR Interactive, NSW Construction Site Safety Guide 2023/24 is developed with interactive augmented reality (AR) capabilities for use with a smart device after downloading the free Pro-Vis AR Safety App via the App Store or Google Play.

This leading-edge digitally interactive Guide is a targeted response to a changed landscape as workers often respond well to information relayed via visual means such as videos and 3D animations rather than technical written documents, making the Guide a highly effective communication tool available through free subscription.

Approximately 15% of the Australian workforce is made up of workers between 15-24 years via ABS and over 14,000 serious workers’ compensation claims are made by workers in this age group. One of the contributing factors to workplace injuries is young and inexperienced workers being unable to recognise and cope with potential hazards.

As an employer, you must ensure the work environment and the way workers carry out their work is safe, regardless of the type and terms of their employment. This includes protecting young workers from both physical and psychological workplace hazards. Employers of young workers and apprentices should ensure the apprentice is supervised at all times and working safely with the correct use of PPE, including making sure they participate in Toolbox Talks and sign off on Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS).

Pro-Vis AR Safety App include A Safe Work NSW Young Workers eToolkit, NT WorkSafe, Information for Young Workers Video, Safe Work Australia and Young Workers Tell Us Their Views on Work Safety Video.

Together Pro-Visual Publishing, MBA NSW, CICA and CSDAA have carefully selected additional subject matter that addresses issues pertinent to this vital industry sector following in-depth industry feedback which includes ‘Psychosocial Hazards and Risks’ in light of the model WHS Laws which now include regulations on psychosocial hazards.

The new model Code of Practice Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work also provides an overview of the Australian mental health workforce policy landscape, which varies across jurisdictions, however, has commonalities in its aims and principles, as mental injury claims continue to increase.

Downloadable resources via Pro-Vis AR Safety App include Safe Work Australia Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Infographic with Safe Work Australia’s Psychosocial Hazards Sound like at Work Document, SafeWork SA’s Top 10 Tips to maintain your mental health video, Mates in Construction’s Man Up video and Work Safe QLD’s Workplace Mental Health Matters video.

For safety around concrete pumps, safe work procedures and equipment hazards, downloading the Pro-Vis AR Safety App allows access to videos on Avoiding Problems of Concrete Pumping Works and Hose Whip with examples including The Constructor, Civil Engineering Home, Major Problems of Concrete Pumping Works and How to Avoid Them Video, WorkSafe Work BC and Concrete Pump Hose Whips, Killing Worker Video.

Unsafe scaffolding has also been responsible for several deaths and many injuries on construction sites and becomes a hazard not only for scaffolders but for all trades working on or from the scaffolding or those working on the ground around the scaffolding base. Therefore, the user of the Guide can view Systems Support Scaffolding Safety Video.

Guide users can also download the app to assess a link to the Look up and Live App for Safe Work Procedure’s Staying Safe Around Powerlines.