WorkSafe ACT has revealed that from the 868 residential construction site visits over 2022–2023, it issued 44 infringement notices, 1,002 improvement notices and 430 prohibition notices. Some businesses were found to have been repeatedly non-compliant with work health and safety (WHS) laws.

“Disappointingly, despite repeated enforcement notices and engagement with WorkSafe ACT inspectors, we have seen little change in safety behaviours and recurrent non-compliance by a number of residential construction businesses,” the regulator expressed in a statement.

In response to these findings, the ACT’s Work Health and Safety Commissioner Jacqueline Agius wrote to repeat offenders to inform them that, “continued non-compliance will not be tolerated. I will now be focusing on investigating and prosecuting identified repeat offenders that are continuously failing to keep their workers safe.”

Ms Agius said some responses to these letters showed a lack of understanding of the importance of WHS.

“It is clear to me that some builders in the ACT do not understand their WHS obligations. I want to remind businesses that it is their duty to ensure the health and safety of their workers,” she said.

“Having workers across multiple sites at the same time does not dilute your WHS duties.

“I am committed to improving safety standards in the ACT’s residential construction industry and ensuring that all workers get home at the end of the day.”