Since 3 July, SafeWork SA inspectors have performed a total of 56 compliance audits and issued 314 statutory notices.

The managing risk of falls in residential construction campaign identified 172 breaches, resulting in 124 Prohibition and 48 Improvement notices being issued.

Working from portable ladders and scaffolds or working near balconies, voids and live edges are the biggest areas of concern.

To support the Communications Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU) national ‘Nowhere to go’ campaign, the campaign also includes ensuring accessibility to clean and hygienic toilet facilities.

The toilets compliance audits identified 41 breaches resulting in an improvement notice being issued. Close to three quarters of compliance audits identified non-compliant toilet facilities.

During the audits, an additional 101 statutory notices were issued for other non-campaign related breaches, consisting of 17 prohibition and 84 Improvement notices.

A prohibition notice is a directive issued to an employer instructing them to stop work immediately due to the severity of the risk until compliance measures are put in place to mitigate the workplace hazard.

Improvement notices are issued when a safety issue is identified. Work can continue while the improvement notice is being actioned, however, the notice will require the issue to be fixed within a specified time.

Slips, trips and falls account for a substantial number of workplace incidents with falls from height being the third leading cause of workplace fatalities across Australia.

In 2022, SafeWork SA recorded 77 notifiable serious injuries resulting from falls, down from 103 in 2021, with 59 of these falls within the construction industry, the highest of all industries.

Falls from ladders accounted for 40 per cent of construction industry fall injuries in 2022. The 2022 data showed workers most at risk of a serious injury from a fall were roofers, carpenters and steel frame installers.

While the number of incidents across all industries has decreased significantly in the past two years, falls in the residential construction industry have barely budged and remain stubbornly high.

SafeWork SA Executive Director Glenn Farrell said inspectors would continue to be out in force on construction sites in November and December.

‘Key safety messages about working from heights are not leading to a reduction in injuries in the residential construction sector, requiring a more rigorous approach to compliance,’ he said.

‘The control measures to reduce the risk of falls are well known and readily available so there is no excuse for not having them in place.’