08:23 am, Wednesday 10 March, 2010

WorkSafe has highlighted that 600 civil construction workers were paid over $30 million in compensation for lower leg injuries in a span of 3 years from July 2006 to the end of June.

According to WorkSafe’s Construction and Utilities Director Chris Webb said, hundreds of plant operators suffer injuries while getting onto or off mobile plant yearly.

“At least 100 operators are injured badly enough to make claims on their employer’s workplace injury insurance,” Mr Webb said.

The civil construction industry employs 33,000 people, representing 13% of Victoria’s construction workforce. The workers are usually assigned to major infrastructure projects, local government housing estates and other developments.

The industry is also responsible for about 900 Workcover injury claims each year or 30% of all construction injury claims.

“They may not be high-profile injuries that result in deaths or are life-threatening, but in many cases, the difference between an operator suffering just a sprain or rupturing a tendon or breaking a bone is just luck, and luck eventually runs out.”

“Preventing these types of injuries is not rocket science or expensive” said Mr Webb.

“Keep the plant’s access in good condition, use the steps and grab-rails provided, take the last step to the ground, be careful and never jump down.”

Beginning this month, the safety watchdog’s inspectors will focus on civil construction sites, particularly on risks linked with getting on and off mobile plant, excessive noise and manual handling of heavy, large and bulk objects.

“Civil contractors need to proactively address safety at their sites and ensure they are controlling not just these, but all risks, as inspectors will take appropriate compliance action if they identify safety issues,” he said.

“Not only do the injured workers suffer, so do contractors’ financial expectations.

“Getting on top of the safety basics is good for workers and it’s good for business.

“They will have to pay up to 10 days of the injured operator’s wages and up to $582 of their medical expenses and there can be an impact on the contractor’s workplace injury insurance premium.

“At the job there’s lost productivity, costs from finding replacement staff and possible overtime having to make-up for time lost and a range of other issues for workmates and supervisors.”

Victorian safety information is available online at www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/construction.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know