GENERAL FEATURES Workplace Health and Safety

A word from the safety regulator SafeWork continues to target crane safety in 2020

SafeWork NSW inspectors are targeting mobile crane safety over 2020, as part of its ongoing focus on the safe use of cranes in the building and construction industry.

Mobile crane site checks 2020

Mobile cranes pose a serious risk to workers and the general public with the most common types of incidents being: • crane tip/roll-overs • people being struck by the load or falling objects from the load • people being struck or crushed by a crane part • crane contact with buildings, scaffolds and powerlines. Inspectors are visiting sites state-wide to talk with site supervisors, health and safety representatives (HSRs), operators and doggers about site set-up, safe load movement, and to check operators hold the correct class of high risk work licence for the mobile crane they are operating. Inspectors will also be checking crane operation and dogging knowledge levels on key safety • ensure inexperienced or new operators and issues. doggers (typically those with five years or What you can do to work safely with mobile cranes less experience) are adequately mentored, supported and supervised. Make sure you are crane safe: Licencing • only operate a crane that is within the maximum rated capacity (MRC) of your mobile crane high risk work licence class Mobile crane operators must only operate a crane within the high risk work licence class that they hold. For example, if they hold a C6 licence, they cannot operate slewing mobile • ensure the mobile crane/plant is maintained cranes with more than 60 tonne capacity. Some as per manufacturers recommendations crane licences incorporate other classes. For • plan the job, taking in to account site set-up, example, the C6 incorporates the C2 (up to load movement, underground and overhead 20t), CN (non-slewing mobile crane) and CV service proximity (vehicle loading crane) licence classes. Persons • conduct and record pre-start checks operating these types of cranes under their slewing mobile crane licence must be trained in • avoid lifting or moving suspended loads over the safe operation of the crane. the heads of workers or the public On-the-spot fines apply for persons who • have the appropriate controls in place to undertake high risk work, including using manage the risks of falling objects cranes, without holding the correct class of Issue Three | July-September 2020 | MBA NSW 19

licence for that work or type of plant. $3,600 for businesses and $720 for individuals. Persons undertaking work that requires a high risk licence must carry out that work safely and competently at all times or risk having their licence suspended, cancelled or being disqualified from holding the licence. For more information on high risk work crane licences, including incorporated classes, see the SafeWork NSW website.

Tower cranes visits 2019 findings

The mobile crane site checks follow on from last years focus on tower cranes where inspectors visited 132 sites where a tower crane was being operated and spoke with supervisors, operators and doggers about tower crane safety. Inspectors issued 33 notices as part of the tower crane visits, including 25 improvement notices, 2 prohibition notices, 3 section 171 (produce documents) notices and 3 penalty notices totalling $7,920. The majority of notices were for issues other than tower crane safety, including scaffolding, falls from heights risks and electrical safety. The 5 notices that were issued in relation to tower cranes were for plant registration, proximity to powerlines and traffic control management. Compliance levels for general load movement and communications systems were quite high, ranging from 94 to 100% compliance including: • 95% had adequate controls in place to manage the risk of falling loads • 98% had adequate controls in place to prevent striking of snagging of structures • 95% had adequate controls in place to prevent people from entering loading zones • 100% had appropriate communication systems in place between the supervisor and operator • 94% had adequate systems to ensure the validity and currency of HRW licences. Inspectors also asked operators and doggers basic knowledge questions to test their knowledge levels on key safety issues. Overall, operators and doggers knowledge was reasonable meaning that more investigation is required when it comes to incidents, to explore other issues such as operator error, intentional acts against safety procedures and skill levels. Of some concern was that there was little opportunity for ongoing tower crane/dogging training offered especially in the first five years of holding a licence. Whilst compliance and knowledge levels appear adequate for most sites visits, given the high risk nature of cranes on construction sites, SafeWork NSW will continue to work with the building and construction industry to improve tower crane safety and to ensure a high level of compliance for crane operations and plant maintenance. The full tower crane project findings are published on the SafeWork NSW website on the tower cranes A-Z safety page.

More information

The SafeWork NSW Centre for Work Health and Safety has partnered with RMIT to study the causes of crane incidents in NSW. Their summarised report is published on the SafeWork NSW website. SafeWork has also recently released a fact sheet on operating and hiring mobile cranes. This and other useful resources is available on www.safework.nsw.gov.au or by calling 13 10 50.

ADVERTISING FEATURE New DIY Formwork from Ozwall

Ozwall commenced manufacturing precast walls for residential construction in 2006. Over the years it has developed a number of prefabricated vertical formwork systems working on the premise of minimising site activities and utilising a manufacturing environment to create economical permanent and reusable forms.

Currently it has two systems used primarily in multi-storey construction and a third new release DIY wall system.

The Ozwall metal T-Clip is a permanent formwork system utilising a patented plastic clip attached to a profiled galvanised metal sheet and to a prefabricated reinforcement cage. This system is used in difficult access conditions such as basements or where a concrete wall is constructed against an existing building. Restricted access saw the use of the Ozwall system on the Star Casino, Sydney. The Ozwall “Off-form” system attaches reusable formply to the same prefabricated cage utilising a different plastic connector. The formply is easily removed after concrete pouring allowing the formed surface to be checked for proper compaction. The formply is then used on site for other elements or recycled back to our factory to create the next wall or column.

Walls are constructed from either formply/metal or formply to both sides. Columns are constructed from formply.

The Ozwall DIY wall formwork has resulted from these two systems. Two sheets of formply are connected using a patented plastic connector to create a formwork box 1800 by 1200. Typical thicknesses are 150/200mm. Holes through the connectors allow the simple placement of vertical reinforcement at 300mm centres in one or both faces. Several boxes are laid out to archieve the required wall length. Boxes are either 1200 long by 1800 high or 1800 long by 1200 high. Concrete is then filled to the required height and then formply easily removed for reuse.

One DIY option incorporates the metal T-Clip system on the soil side face and formply on the outside face to create an easily installed edge wall/beam for sloping sites.

Many home builders come from a carpentry background and the DIY system allows the builder to create retaining walls without relying on block layers and reinforcement fixers. The system is simple and easily installed with a carpenter and apprentice.

The plastic connectors at typically 300mm by 200mm centres facilitate the attachment of FC sheet/plasterboard or other decorative finish without the need for furring channels.

DIY FORMWORK

• Simple & economical Eliminates block layer