Question Time

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY INNOVATIVE PRACTICE GRANTS

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Can the minister advise the chamber about the recent recipient of the Work Health and Safety Innovative Practice Grants?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:02): I thank the honourable member for his question and acknowledge his long history of caring about injured workers and the likes. The Work Health and Safety Innovative Practice Grants Program is administered by the research committee of the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee.

The program aims to fund projects that develop and promote innovative safety practices to help reduce work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities. I am pleased to advise that the committee has recently awarded the Housing Industry Association a grant of $35,500 to conduct a specific project on managing risks associated with working at heights.

The dangers of working at heights are well known and it is particularly pleasing that the HIA acknowledges this issue by seeking funding to improve its safety performance in this area. The Falls in Housing Construction—A Risk Management Approach project targets small businesses and sole traders and demonstrates practical and safe ways to work for those operating in residential construction.

The project aims to equip workers with the necessary skills in risk management and control strategies associated with working at heights. Areas of high risk to be covered by this project include scaffolding, safe use of ladders, floor voids, excavations, roof and truss erection, elevated floors, and wall framing and cladding.

The government recognises that the construction industry is identified in both the National Occupational Health and Safety Strategy 2002-12 and the Occupational Health and Safety Strategic Framework for South Australia as a high priority industry for occupational health and safety. In fact, according to statistics from WorkCover SA, 84 falls occurred in the housing industry over the past five years.

These 84 falls from heights claims resulted in more than 5,100 working days lost at a cost of more than $1.5 million in workers compensation claims. As one would realise, 5,100 working days lost for 84 falls is a considerable amount of time off per fall. Each one of those falls could just as well have been a death as a serious injury.

I am very pleased that the HIA and SafeWork SA through its advisory committee are working together to look at reducing injuries from falls in the residential housing sector. As Australia's largest residential building organisation, the Housing Industry Association's members include builders, trade contractors, design professionals, kitchen and bathroom specialists, manufacturers and suppliers. The HIA is, therefore, well placed to deliver such a project to residential construction workers.

In order to successfully deliver this message to the target group, the HIA will develop a range of products, such as presentations and fact sheets, to meet a variety of different learning styles. Several delivery strategies, including site days, membership meetings and online training, will also be developed in order to maximise participation and address the difficulties faced by the target group in attending fixed sessions.

Workers will be kept informed about the project via the HIA's electronic newsletter and through its website. A survey of participants to assess the impact of the program will also be undertaken within 12 months after the project has been completed. I look forward to hearing about the outcomes of the HIA's Falls in Construction—A Risk Management Approach project and how it has helped to reduce height-related injuries and incidents from occurring on residential construction sites.