Secure Construction Sites This Holiday: Don’t Take Unnecessary Risks

SafeWork NSW is calling on all construction businesses and principal contractors to ensure their sites are made safe, locked and fully secured before the end-of-year summer break. Unsecured construction sites can expose workers, visitors and the wider community to serious hazards, as well as increase the risk of theft and vandalism.

Throughout December and January, SafeWork NSW inspectors will be visiting construction sites across the State to reinforce the importance of effective site security and shutdown planning. These visits are aimed at verifying that businesses have robust controls in place, including appropriate WHS management systems, safe work method statements (SWMS) and clear site security procedures.

SafeWork NSW representatives are also attending key industry events in the lead-up to the Christmas and New Year shutdown to highlight the dangers associated with unsecured worksites. These risks include serious injury or death resulting from hazards such as open excavations, incomplete structures, exposed scaffolding, and unattended plant and equipment.

During the shutdown period itself, inspectors will continue to check sites to confirm that legal obligations have been met before businesses close for the holidays. Principal contractors and site managers are expected to take all reasonably practicable steps to prevent unauthorised access and to ensure that any residual hazards are controlled.

Before closing for the year, site managers and workers should systematically review their shutdown procedures and confirm that site fencing is intact, gates are locked, signage is in place, hazardous areas are isolated or covered, and plant, tools and materials are safely stored. Integrating these checks into your WHS management system and documented policies can help demonstrate compliance if your site is inspected. For support with developing or updating WHS documentation, businesses may find resources such as management systems and policies useful, for example: WHS Management Systems and WHS Policies & Procedures.

If a site is found unsecured during the holiday break, SafeWork NSW will contact the principal contractor to arrange immediate action to secure the area. Businesses that fail to adequately secure their worksites may face enforcement action, including improvement or prohibition notices, or on-the-spot fines of $2,700 for businesses and $500 for individuals.

SafeWork NSW is encouraging site managers to use its site security checklist to confirm that all key risk areas have been addressed prior to shutdown. The checklist, along with broader safety information for the construction industry, is available on the SafeWork NSW website and should be incorporated into pre-shutdown planning and WHS reviews.

SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer emphasised that the Christmas and New Year period is typically the longest shutdown for the construction sector, which heightens the need for effective site security. She noted that poorly secured hazards, such as uncovered pits, exposed scaffolding and plant or equipment left out in the open, all have the potential to cause serious injury or death if members of the public or unauthorised persons access the site.

By proactively managing site security and embedding it within existing WHS management systems, SWMS and policies, construction businesses can help protect the community, safeguard their workers and assets, and meet their legal obligations over the holiday break.