In this edition, John Darcy, OHS Manager for Master Builders Association of Victoria, talks about the lack of individual compliance in some areas of the construction industry. John has 23 years experience in OHS.
Construction induction training, formerly referred to as ‘red card’ training, was mandated under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007 on 1 July 2008.
Many workers had already completed red card training before the introduction of these Regulations (red card has been around since 2001), so there is no precise way of knowing how many of the 210,000 workers employed in the Victorian construction industry have completed the training.
All workers coming onto domestic or commercial sites acrossVictoriamust have either a red card, a construction induction (CI) card (also called the white card) or an interstate equivalent. The red card did not expire, so there is no need for a worker to be retrained to obtain a CI card.
Builders should ensure that everyone coming onto their site to perform construction work has completed the training and issued a card.
WorkSafe inspectors still come across tradesmen that have not done any construction induction training, particularly in regional areas.
What is deeply concerning is there are workers who have been caught on sites trying to pass themselves off using other worker’s CI cards. The worst example involved a team of plasterers all carrying the same CI card and other forms of identification.
It is an offence for an employer to allow a person to perform construction work without having completed the training (an employer could be a subcontractor or builder).
To protect you and your business, it is recommended that builders regularly request worker’s CI cards (eg at a toolbox meeting) and cross-reference the names with other forms of identification (eg a driver licence).
Builders who find subcontractors bringing workers onto their sites without a card, or are passing themselves off as someone else, should take appropriate action to ensure their subcontractors immediately rectify the situation.
For more information on CI cards and training
Let us know about your thoughts on card compliance.
When was the last time you were asked to produce your card?
Have you ever worked with somebody who didn’t have a valid card (no names please)?
So we focus on the White (Red) Card for safety. Never mind the years of experience. Never mind what other controls may be in place. That’s no good for revenue raising. And it’s way too hard for an inspector who has no industry experience. Lets just enforce administrative controls because it’s easier for an inspector to deceide who can work safley based on whether or not they have paid for a card that says so.
As a facilitator of the CI courses, initially we were hesitant to justify the 6 hours “face to face” requirement. Why does a construction worker, who has worked onsite for 30 odd years, need a 6 hour course to be taught how to work safely?
However, having seen and spoken with “experienced” construction workers attending the course over the past few years, it is clearly evident that one’s own opinion of their experience differs substantially from what constitutes Working safely in the construction industry.
Most workers who foster a ‘she’ll be right approach’ – majority of the time – are the first to admit after 6 hours that they aren’t nearly as educated as they had originally thought (or hoped).
That little guard needed for that small machine probably isn’t a life threatening issue, and from a managements point of view, is probably not a justifiable expense.
However, I believe the 18 year old apprentice, who’s hand will be amputated as a result of that small machine, would passionately and strongly debate that…..
As far as I’m aware, ignorance has NEVER saved someone’s life.
Problem with all of the safety aspects required is that workers need to have a grasp of the local laws that cover this topic and even english. i have visited two sites in NSW with the same construction company and the work practices for safety did not exist, with men hanging over the edge or a 5 story building to fix things, electrical wires live and not covered properly, no onsite inspection and when its done the work force changes (you do have to be a rocket engineer to know what is going on). Its impossible to provide compliance with overseas companies employing overseas workers on a 3 month rotation and no grasp of the local laws and or requirements needed.
Compliance is not lagging it’s failing!