SafeWork NSW Blitz Targets Construction Safety in Wilton Region

SafeWork NSW has wrapped up a targeted compliance operation across construction sites in the Wilton and Wollondilly area, conducted immediately after a Builders Breakfast and Toolbox Talk designed to strengthen safety awareness and improve work health and safety outcomes.

Construction remains one of New South Wales’ highest-risk industries, with common causes of serious injury and fatalities including falls from height and incidents involving mobile plant. Over the past 12 months, SafeWork NSW received more than 2,229 incident notifications from the construction sector, including 13 worker deaths.

In response, inspectors carried out proactive visits on Thursday 11 June to 20 residential, civil, commercial and infrastructure sites in the region. The focus was on ensuring effective separation of people and plant, including earthmoving machinery and vehicles, and verifying that appropriate control measures were in place.

The compliance blitz resulted in 14 notices being issued, comprising nine improvement notices and five prohibition notices. Inspectors also completed 40 verification checklists targeting key risks such as working at heights, mobile plant operations and psychosocial hazards.

While many sites demonstrated strong safety practices and sound WHS management, the operation highlighted persistent gaps. Inspectors identified that some workers were still being placed at unnecessary risk due to inadequate job planning, insufficient site supervision and poor preventative measures, including missing or substandard edge protection for work at height.

Robust WHS management systems, clear policies and well-implemented Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) are critical to addressing these issues and embedding safe work practices across construction projects. Businesses seeking to strengthen their documentation and controls can access industry-specific WHS management systems and SWMS templates through providers such as Bluesafe and Bluesafe SWMS.

Before inspections commenced, SafeWork NSW inspectors met with around 80 participants from residential, commercial and civil construction at Wilton for the Builders Breakfast and Toolbox Talk. The session covered key harms outlined in SafeWork NSW’s ‘Regulatory Approach and Regulatory Priorities for 2025–26’, reinforcing regulatory expectations and duty holder responsibilities.

The event also placed a strong emphasis on the role of women in construction and the need to ensure that workplaces are safe, inclusive and supportive for all workers. Inspectors discussed the importance of effective WHS policies and procedures that address both physical and psychological health and safety.

Psychosocial risk management was a central theme of the Toolbox Talk. Inspectors engaged directly with workers, businesses and Health and Safety Representatives to discuss psychological health and safety practices, offering practical guidance and resources on identifying, assessing and controlling psychosocial hazards.

These hazards can include bullying, harassment, excessive work pressure, exposure to traumatic events, workplace violence and hazardous physical environments. SafeWork NSW reinforced that these risks must be managed with the same rigour as physical hazards, through robust risk assessments, consultation, controls and ongoing review.

The Builders Breakfast and Toolbox Talk was open to all trades, site supervisors and any person involved in construction work in the Wilton and Wollondilly area. The event promoted collaboration, shared learning and a proactive approach to safety, underpinned by clear WHS roles, responsibilities and communication.

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis attended the event, speaking directly with businesses and workers alongside SafeWork NSW inspectors about legal duties and obligations to provide and maintain safe workplaces. She underscored the importance of leadership, planning and strong safety culture in preventing incidents.

Eligible attendees were able to apply for the $1,000 SafeWork NSW Small Business Rebate, which can be used to invest in practical safety improvements such as platform ladders, edge protection systems and other risk control measures that support safer work methods.

SafeWork NSW is encouraging all construction businesses to review their WHS management systems, SWMS, and site-specific risk controls, particularly in relation to working at heights, mobile plant safety and psychosocial risk management. Guidance material and further information on these topics is available via the SafeWork NSW website.

SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer noted that, despite many positive examples observed during the Wilton and Wollondilly visits, the findings show there is still significant work required to eliminate serious harm on construction sites.

She reiterated that every worker has the right to return home safely at the end of the day, and that targeted education, engagement and enforcement activities such as the Builders Breakfast, Toolbox Talk and follow-up inspections are vital to achieving safer outcomes across the construction industry.