Health and Safety

The construction sector is one of the largest employers in New Zealand, but it also has a significant proportion of workplace-related accidents.

In the 2007/2008 financial year, 50% of fatal ACC injury claims were attributed to the construction industry.

The majority of injuries in the construction sector occur from falls or falling objects, or while using power tools. Hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead paint, wood and cement dust and solvents can be responsible for respiratory and other health-related problems.

Workplace housekeeping

Good workplace housekeeping practices include:

• maintaining a tidy site
• having clear access and egress ways
• following good site management practices
• having designated areas for material delivery and waste storage
• regular maintenance of plant and equipment
• installing barriers where required
• erecting signage as required
• provision and maintenance of sanitary facilities for staff.

Failure to maintain good workplace practices can result in construction-related health and safety issues and inefficiencies such as increased likelihood of injuries, loss of working efficiency due to multiple handling of materials and bottlenecks in work flow and movement around the site.