Workplace Health & Safety

Aviation warning lights for tower cranes

There are almost 700 tower cranes registered in NSW for use, which is 3 times the amount of cranes registered five years ago. Quantity surveying advisory services have estimated that there are 352 tower cranes in use in Sydney alone.

SafeWork (SWNSW) NSW recently undertook a two-year “Tower Crane Project” identifying that 47 per cent of cranes climbed had no policy in place for managing mobile communication devices on site e.g. use of mobile phones. A further 48 per cent of tower cranes inspected either had no fire extinguishers, were out of date, the wrong type or inaccessible. An incredible 120 tower cranes did not have aircraft aviation lights installed at all. The regulator’s focus in the next 6-12 weeks will be on maintenance records and servicing documentation. SWNSW visited more than 30 crane yards in relation to erection and dismantling procedures, and undertook site verification of 180 tower cranes across NSW. A total of 22 improvement notices have been issued and one Prohibition notice had been issued for matters including unauthorised access, inoperative weathervane practices, securing lights and/or signage, insufficient inspection and maintenance records, and access to power isolation. SWNSW advised that a similar project is proposed in coming years for mobile cranes 38 MBA NSW | Issue Three | June/July 2018 which is anticipated to last 12-18 months. Reason for the alert Safety concerns have been raised regarding low flying aircraft being unable to see and avoid tower cranes at night. Examples of low flying aircraft include aircraft on approach or departure from aerodromes, military aircraft and emergency service helicopters such as police, RAC Rescue, air ambulances (particularly near hospitals) and similar. For special attention By nature of their work, emergency services aircraft may be required to fly at low levels in random locations away from aerodromes or designated air traffic corridors. Such activity can occur at night, and in poor weather, with little or no notice. The Industry Plant Consultative Committee (IPCC) therefore considers it reasonably practicable to fit aviation warning lights to all tower cranes in metropolitan areas, to increase visibility and reduce the risk of collision. Aviation obstacle and obstacle lighting To ensure consistency and avoid any confusion to pilots, obstacle marking and lighting must comply with the CASA Manual of Standards (MOS) Part 139 – Aerodromes Section 8.10 (Obstacle Markings) and Section 9.4 (Obstacle Lighting). Most tower crane models have provisions for fitting aviation warning lights — consult with the crane manufacturer for further information. www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2016C00220 Cranes near aerodromes Certain airspace near aerodromes is regulated, with legal requirements for both PCBUs erecting a tower crane and the aerodrome operators. Wherever a crane is to be located within 30 km of an aerodrome the IPCC considers it reasonably practicable to consult with the aerodrome operator to determine, as a minimum: • Whether the crane will encroach regulated airspace • Whether the crane will be a hazardous obstacle to aircraft • Whether there is a requirement to notify the

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and/ or the Department of Infrastructure and

Transport, and who is responsible for the notification • Appropriate measures to reduce risk of collision, such as aviation obstacle lighting and obstacle marking.

These requirements are further explained in detail in the following link. www.safework.nsw. gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/107403/ tower-cranes-principal-contractors-dutiesSW08439.pdf

A word from the safety regulator SafeWork NSW responds to NSW infrastructure boom

SafeWork NSW is developing a construction sector plan that aligns with its six-year work health and safety roadmap. Having consulted with a variety of industry stakeholders, the plan will focus on SafeWork’s commitment to ‘right touch’ regulatory approaches through collaboration, innovation, expertise and compliance. The plan aims to reduce the impact of high-risk harms across four critical industry sub-sectors: infrastructure, mid/ high rise, asbestos and demolition, and residential. The infrastructure plan will be published soon. The NSW Government is allocating more than $80 billion over the next four years to large infrastructure projects, many of them carried out in partnership with the private sector. SafeWork has responded to this rapidly increasing, highrisk infrastructure construction activity by creating a new team comprising eight inspectors to oversee metropolitan Sydney. The team will focus on tunnelling, demolition, bridges, overpasses, site preparation and civil works, with attention given to demographics, work activities, workplace arrangements, knowledge, understanding, accessibility and capabilities as they relate to workplace safety. By engaging with industry experts, the team will identify the high-risk work health and safety harms relevant to each infrastructure project, to develop targeted safety strategies at the project inception stage, innovative solutions and world best practice. Already, the team has helped develop operational protocols on the Sydney Metro, West Connex, NorthConnex, Sydney Light Rail and Parramatta Light Rail projects. These protocols include strategic engagement strategies, emergency response protocols and verification visits. The goal of the sector plan is to ensure a legacy of skilled and experienced workers across the construction sector, and improve the work health and safety capability of employers and other stakeholders. Spotlight on Silica — Harm Reduction Strategy Recently, the infrastructure team and Kate Cole, an occupational hygienist, facilitated a ‘silica in tunnelling’ workshop at the Australasian Tunnelling Society (ATS) Conference in Sydney. The workshop was a catalyst for the first air-quality working group, which meets bi-monthly to improve health outcomes for tunnel workers. The infrastructure team has visited all the major tunnel sites across Sydney to carry out occupational hygiene testing in relation to silica dust exposure. More inspections are planned. 40 MBA NSW | Issue Three | June/July 2018

We spoke to new inspector Ryan McKeown, who recently joined the infrastructure team.

How long have you been with SafeWork NSW? About four months. What did you do before joining SafeWork NSW? I spent 15 years in tunnelling, working on large infrastructure projects, such as desalination plants in Adelaide and Victoria, Sydney’s cross-city tunnel, the Lane Cove tunnel, many cable tunnels, and more recently the West Connex project. So far, what’s the best thing about working in the infrastructure team? I am enjoying the large variety of work we do. I am learning new skills and see a lot of different types of jobs across the Sydney metro. The team has been very welcoming and we work well together with our diverse backgrounds and skill-sets. What do you see as the major challenges for SafeWork NSW inspectors when it comes to these large infrastructure projects? The amount of work is unprecedented and there are many more major projects due to start over the next few years, ranging from underground infrastructure to high rises. What do you see as the major challenges with safety on these largescale infrastructure projects? The amount of infrastructure work happening in Sydney and interstate means there is strong demand for experienced and skilled workers, so there’s a larger proportion of inexperienced and young workers doing work that they may not be ready for. This can impact on safety. In these high-profile jobs, there are numerous high-risk activities taking place: working with tunnel boring machines and cranes, working at heights, working in confined spaces, working where plant and people interact. Generally, if something goes wrong, it goes wrong in a big way. What are some of the major projects underway or coming up that you will be working with in the industry to ensure safety is a priority? Well, there’s the demolition of buildings in the CBD to make way for underground stations and above-ground developments, including a 20-storey building coming down in Martin Place. There are major works, with underground stations being demolished and re-built, the Central Station upgrade, Badgery’s Creek airport, the light rail, and a new Sydney football stadium. Is there any advice you would give to contractors and other workers who are working on these infrastructure projects? Planning is the biggest thing. Make sure you look forward to see what the risks are and put controls in place before you start the work. Look for better and safer ways to do things.

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