Workplace Health & Safety

A word from the

Safety Regulator

A Licence to Perform High Risk Work is required for work that is deemed to be high risk in Schedule 3 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017. In the construction industry, this includes operating cranes and hoists, dogging, rigging and erecting or dismantling scaffold.

High risk work training and assessment – what is behind the licence? In total, there are 29 classes of high risk work requiring a licence. A person applying for a high risk work licence must first undertake training at an approved registered training organisation (RTO) and be assessed by an accredited high risk work assessor. SafeWork NSW approves RTOs and accredits assessors through a rigorous system that ensures the person who is issued with a high risk work licence has met the standards of competency for that licence class. When applying to become a SafeWork NSW high risk work accredited assessor, the applicant must provide evidence they hold the appropriate training and assessment qualification and have industry experience relevant to the class/es and work references. Additional probity checks, including a national criminal reference check are also undertaken. If SafeWork NSW is satisfied, the applicant must then pass the relevant class/es exam and attend a full day induction to learn SafeWork’s requirements. This system of accreditation provides assurances that licence assessments are only done by skilled and experienced assessors. Once assessors are accredited, SafeWork NSW monitors the licence assessments they do on an ongoing basis, through a rigorous verification program. This ensures assessments are conducted safely and to a high standard, as required in the national assessment instrument/s. High risk work licences are recognised nationally, and SafeWork NSW meets regularly with interstate work health and safety regulators to share information and develop consistent approaches to licensing, compliance and enforcement.

Spotlight on scaffolding work There is sometimes confusion in industry as to what type of work requires a licence, within a licence hierarchy such as scaffolding and rigging. For scaffolding work, the following applies: Basic scaffolding licence covers scaffolding work involving: • modular or pre-fabricated scaffolds • cantilevered materials hoists with a maximum working load of 500kg • ropes and gin wheels • safety nets and static lines • bracket scaffolds Workers must hold a basic scaffolding licence before they can be trained and assessed for intermediate scaffolding. Intermediate scaffolding licence covers scaffolding work involving:

White Card Fast Fact Wile we mutually recognise white cards from other states and territories,SafeWork NSW only issues white cards to those who have undertaken face-to-face training with our approved training providers. Find a quality approved training provider at www.safework.nsw.gov.au

Flammable scaffolding containment netting (mesh) alert Three fires on construction sites earlier this year have shown that some types of scaffold containment netting are highly flammable. See our safety alert at www.safework.nsw.gov.au • cantilevered crane loading platforms • cantilevered scaffolds • barrow ramps and sloping platforms • scaffolding associated with perimeter safety screens and shutters • mast climbing work platforms • tube and coupler scaffolds (including tube and coupler covered ways and gantries). Workers must hold an intermediate scaffolding licence before they can be trained and assessed for advanced scaffolding. Advanced scaffolding licence covers scaffolding work involving: • cantilevered hoists • hung scaffolds, including scaffolds hung from tubes, wire ropes or chains • suspended scaffolds. It is important to know when a licence is required and what class of licence is required. See the SafeWork NSW website for a full list of high risk work licence requirements. Checking a licence card is valid SafeWork NSW has made it easier for employers to check NSW issued licences by creating a public register: www.licencecheck. nsw.gov.au. The register provides quick access to check high risk work licences, white cards and asbestos removal licences. The register also lists if a person’s licence is suspended or cancelled, or they have been issued with a penalty. If your workers have a high risk work licence from another state or territory, you should check with the issuing authority in that state or territory. Remember, you must see written evidence that a worker holds a licence before directing or allowing them to undertake high risk work. It is a good idea to keep a register of your workers’ licences and expiry dates. Information, training and supervision A high risk work licence indicates a person demonstrated competency in that class of work. However, licence holders, like all workers, need to be provided with appropriate information, training and supervision to undertake their work safely. It is important to understand a worker’s current level of knowledge, skills and experience to determine how much information, training and supervision they will need for the specific work required. For example, if a worker obtained a high risk work licence yesterday, they are unlikely to have the experience of a seasoned operator and will require more supervision as they build their capability. Equally, a worker who has not operated for some time, or who has not operated the specific plant model you have, may require refresher training or further information before undertaking the work. For further information on workplace licensing, visit the SafeWork NSW website or call 13 10 50.

Contents Workplace, Health & Safety

Why external timber cladding remains acceptable for Class 2 and Class 3 Low-rise Buildings

If your building surveyor questions the use of external timber cladding a low-rise project, this article provides you with the reasons why you’re within the requirements of the Code.

A longer version of this article, quoting relevant sections of the Code is available on the WoodSolutions website (search for external timber cladding). A recent amendment to the National Construction Code (NCC) regarding the use of external wall claddings has led some people to assume that external timber cladding is no longer acceptable in Class 2 and 3 low-rise buildings. Boris Iskra, National Codes and Standards Manager for Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and a structural engineer with additional qualifications in building fire safety, argues that this is not the case. Following the recent devastating and tragic building façade fires, the NCC was amended to address the use of external cladding products on high-rise buildings. The amendment, NCC 2016 Volume One Amendment 1, contained changes relating to fire safety in high-rise buildings and the evidence of suitability. The existing mandatory provisions remain unchanged. Although the ban on the use of combustible cladding on mid- and high-rise buildings is clear, the use of timber cladding products on low-rise buildings is still permitted. However, interpretations of the Amendment have had unfortunate flow on-effects for low-rise building developments which have caused unnecessary angst and uncertainty. Since the introduction of a “Concession” for timber-framed construction systems in 1994 (BCA 1990 - Amdt 7) for Class 2 apartment buildings and recently (NCC 2014) for Class 3 buildings, the use of timber products has been permitted as external timber cladding for 3-storey Class 2 and 3 buildings, and 4-storey if the lowest storey is constructed of concrete or masonry and used for car parking, under the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions in non-sprinkler protected buildings. The Concession also applies to 3-storey timber construction over a ground floor concrete/masonry carpark (4-storey total construction) as well as for Type B 2-storey timber construction or 2-storey timber construction over a ground floor concrete/masonry carpark (3-storey total construction). Whilst it is understandable that there has been some nervousness shown by building professionals in specifying external cladding materials and products, the NCC 2016 Amendment 1 does not change the Concession that permits the use of external timber cladding products on low-rise Class 2 and Class 3 buildings that has been in the Code since the mid-90s. The WoodSolutions Design Guide 2 Timber-framed Construction for Multiresidential Buildings – Class 2 & 3 is available for free download at www. woodsolutions.com.au/publications. For more information about this article, please contact Boris Iskra, National Codes and Standards Manager, at info@woodsolutions.com.au.

Low-rise cladding in question? Wood is still the answer.

A recent amendment to the National Construction Code (NCC) regarding the use of external wall claddings has led some people to assume that external timber cladding is no longer acceptable in Class 2 and 3 low-rise buildings. If your building surveyor, certifier or design professional questions the use of external timber cladding in a low-rise project, don’t worry, you are within the requirements of the Code.

For more technical information, see the article in this magazine, go to woodsolutions.com.au and search for Timber Cladding or use the QR code on this page.

Working together to improve your membership

We want your membership to work as hard as you do. That’s why we conducted our recent Member Services Survey. By completing the survey, participants not only got a say on how we could improve their experience as a member, they also went into a monthly prize draw.

Narrabeen local Joel Bird, Director of Brace Building Solutions, was our lucky winner for July. He won a 32GB iPad for sharing how membership has helped his business, telling us “Whenever we get out of our depth on something our first call is to Master Builders”.

We thought we should catch up with Joel to dig a little deeper into what being a Master Builders member means to him… Together with business partner, Matt Gadsley, Joel has been running Brace Building Solutions, a successful carpentry business in the Northern Beaches for over four years. With both men coming from a trade background, they know their way around a building site. But in terms of starting a business, Joel told us, they found themselves with a lot of questions and that’s where his membership comes in handy. Recalling the early days, he says he came across a few scary situations. Making sure they’re doing the right thing by their team is a big thing for them and with 25 staff, including 15 full time employees, and another half dozen due to start before Christmas, business is labour; that makes employee relations very important. When Joel started to feel that the documents he’d be downloading online were no longer cutting it, he decided it was time to reach out to MBA. He quickly found himself spending a great deal of time working closely with Industrial Officer, Ian Jarmon. He wanted to be confident that his boys were happy and that he was doing the right thing. He also wanted peace of mind that no one could walk in and say he wasn’t paying his staff right. Joel says Ian and the Industrial Relations team were a fantastic help, working with him to set up 17 individual agreements for his staff. He says “there were so many little things that he never would of considered, like how the boys’ utes get factored into their pay arrangements and who’s responsible for what. Having all that in writing was a huge relief”. Theyl also set up his public liability and workers compensation insurances with MBA Insurance Services and, whilst thankfully he hasn’t had the need to use our free legal service yet, he says it’s reassuring to know it’s there. Joel and his team use the MBA Member logo on their utes. “It makes for good advertising. When the general public see the logo, they believe it represents a certain standard of tradesman, and we like identifying with that”. Apprenticeship will be his next stop. Joel is looking forward to taking on some 3rd or 4th year apprentices; it’s important that he can feel confident sending his boys out on site to represent his brand. MBA Apprentices make the perfect choice. Joel also plans to tap into the great fuel discounts on offer through Caltex StarCard, as well as hoping to become more involved with the Master Builders community, attending his local division nights to network and expand his business contacts and job prospects. As we wrapped up our chat with Joel and sent him off with his brand new ipad, he remarked “that’s going to be our new on-site joinery tablet”. We’re glad it’s going to be put to good use, Joel! For a complete overview of all member benefits, services and member-only discounts visit www.mbansw.asn.au/benefits or call Member Services on 02 8586 3515.