SafeWork NSW roadshow tackles regional construction safety
16 Oct 2024•BlueSafe Team•Source: SafeWork NSW
SafeWork NSW’s second biennial regional Building and Construction Symposium will launch in Newcastle on Monday 23 September, opening a six-event roadshow focused on safety challenges across the sector.
The September and October events will bring industry, worker, union and government representatives together to discuss health and safety concerns affecting building and construction in NSW. Topics include psychosocial hazards, changes to silica legislation and maintaining safety during a skills shortage amid a housing and infrastructure boom.
SafeWork NSW will lead a panel on protecting new, inexperienced and vulnerable workers, with fatal and non-fatal accidents remaining a threat to construction workers.
Mates in Construction will run a session on improving mental health and respect at work. Research cited in the announcement shows that 190 Australians working in construction take their own lives each year, and that construction workers are eight times more likely to die from suicide than from a workplace accident.
Other sessions will cover crystalline silica, with SafeWork NSW providing an update on the effects of regulatory changes introduced on 1 September.
The Newcastle symposium will run from 3pm to 6pm at Wallsend Diggers NSW. Further events are planned for Port Macquarie and Ballina in September, followed by Wollongong, Albury and Dubbo in October.
Head of SafeWork NSW Trent Curtin said the events would examine safety solutions that protect workers while saving businesses time and money. Participants would also receive updates on industry trends, issues and initiatives, alongside SafeWork NSW services including its Site Supervisor Workshop Series, safety podcasts and targeted awareness campaigns.
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