Page 3006 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 23 September 2014
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sight of this. We should never lose sight of our responsibility to do whatever we can to ensure the safety of all workers in the territory.
We need to continue to press the message that everyone in the construction industry has a responsibility to ensure their own safety and the safety of those around them. They have a responsibility to look after their mates. I am hopeful that the most recent Safe Work Australia figures mark recognition of the risks by those in the industry and identify a concerted effort by all to say, “No more!”
I am pleased to announce that for the third successive period since the release of the Getting home safely report there have been no fatalities in the ACT construction industry. While these results are to be applauded, we must be cautious of complacency, and I reiterate my and the government’s commitment to delivering the recommendations of the report. Our focus continues to be on seeking improved health and safety outcomes for ACT workers.
I do note that the incidence rate for serious injury in the construction sector remains high, at 31.5 injuries per 1,000 employees in the ACT. However, without the commitment and effort on behalf of all parties, including the government, industry and employee bodies, principal contractors, site supervisors and workers generally, it is impossible to change the culture of this industry and to reduce the incidence of serious injury.
I would like at this time to recognise the commitment and contribution of the Master Builders Association, the Housing Industry Association and the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and their affiliates in supporting the work of the government through groups such as the Work Safety Council and the Construction Safety Advisory Committee to implement improvements in this sector.
I would also like to recognise the commitment and contribution of the education and training sector and particularly their awareness and responsibility for identifying the training needs for the construction industry and for their support in mandating asbestos awareness training in the territory. Without the contribution and commitment of all of these participants it is not possible to formulate change, and I thank them for their support.
Since Minister Corbell’s second update on progress towards delivering the recommendations of the report in March of this year, I can advise the Assembly that the government has demonstrated that it has a critical role to play in improving health and safety outcomes for all workers in the ACT. The government is leading change to protect the health and safety of our workers and to ensure that each of those workers return safely home to their loved ones at the end of a day’s work.
Also in the period since the last update, the government has strengthened its own procurement and contract management practices by adopting an active certification model and whole-of-government guidelines for managing work health and safety in construction projects. Active certification is the process through which the performance of construction contractors who have been commissioned to undertake work on behalf of the territory will be audited and their health and safety performance
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