In Brisbane, Max Smith, Deputy Director-General (Works), Department of Public Works and Bob Bills, Director, Department of Industrial Relations,provided a local context to safety issues in Queensland.
Speaking at the Brisbane launch, which attracted 120 registrants, Construction Innovation CEO Keith Hampson said the death of a 45 year old man in September on a Queensland construction site had bought to eight the number of workers who had died on construction sites in Queensland this year.
It is estimated one person a week dies on building and construction sites in Australia a fatality rate that is more than five times higher than the mining industry.
The competency framework provides a tool for enabling long-term cultural and behavioural change in the Australian building and construction industry to improve occupational health and safety practices.
The development of the framework is unique in terms of the scope of partnership and collaboration across industry, Government, researchers and unions to address the issue of site safety.
Following feedback from these workshops, Construction Innovation is looking at developing an implementation guide for industry.
In other research, Construction Innovations Safer Construction project, led by Tim Fleming of the John Holland Group, is developing a voluntary code of practice and toolkit for the Australian building and construction industry.
