NSW
Work Health Safety Regulations
Module:
Construction Specific Requirements
Workbook p38
WHS Regulations Chapter 6
CONSTRUCTION WORK
CHANGES
Workbook p38

Definition of construction work

Principal Contractor duties

Construction induction

Duties of designers of structures

Work near underground essential
services

The following has been moved into
the chapter on Plant & Structures
◦ Overhead protective structures
◦ Structural collapse
◦ Safe lowering of materials
Definition of Construction Work
Construction work
means
“any work carried out in connection with
the construction, alteration, conversion,
fitting-out, commissioning, renovation,
repair, maintenance, refurbishment,
demolition, decommissioning or
dismantling of a structure”
Workbook p38
Construction Work
Includes activities connected with:
Any installation and testing related to construction
The removal of demolition waste
Prefabrication or testing of elements for use in construction
Assembly/disassembly of prefabricated elements of a structure
Installation, testing ,maintenance of an essential service
Excavation or any preparatory work or site preparation
Construction activity carried out on, under or near water
Workbook p39
Construction Work
does NOT include:
The manufacture of plant, including fixed plant
Prefabrication of elements off site for use in construction
The construction or assembly of a structure to be transported to
another place
Testing, maintenance or repair work of a minor nature connected with a
structure
Mining or the exploration for or extraction of minerals
Workbook p39
Activity 7
HIGH RISK CONSTRUCTION WORK MAY
INVOLVE:
Potential to fall > 2m
Confined space
In or near tunnels
Work near
pressurised gas
Tilt-up, pre-cast
concrete
Extremes of
temperature
Work on
telecommunications
tower
Work needing
temporary support
Demolition of a loadbearing element of a
structure
Work near electrical
installations
Work near moving
plant
Work on or near
water
Disturbance of
asbestos
Work near
contaminated or
flammable
atmosphere
Use of explosives
Work near traffic
corridors
Diving
Workbook p40 & 41
WHAT IS A
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
WHO IS THE
PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR
A construction project is a project that
involves construction work where the cost of
the construction work is $250 000 or more
The PCBU that commissions a
construction project is the
principal contractor
Duties of PCBUs Undertaking
Construction Work
Additional duties of PCBUs who have control or
management of the workplace under the WHS
Regulations
Manage risks associated with carrying out the
construction work
Secure the workplace from unauthorised access
Further Specific Duties of PCBU
• If carrying out high risk construction work prepare
and monitor compliance with a Safe Work Method
Statement
• If carrying out excavation work obtain current
underground essential services information, before
commencing the work
• If excavating a trench of at least 1.5m deep; secure
from unauthorised/inadvertent entry
Safe Work Method Statements
Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) are required for
ALL HIGH RISK CONSTRUCTION WORK and must be
prepared before work commences. SWMS must:
◦ Identify work that is high risk construction work
◦ Specify hazards and risks associated with that work
◦ Describe measures to control risks
◦ Describe how the risk control measures are to be
implemented, monitored and reviewed
Safe Work Method Statements
Compliance

PCBU must give a copy to the Principal Contractor before
work commences

PCBU must put in place arrangements to ensure SWMS is
followed

If high risk construction work is not carried out in
accordance with the SWMS, the work MUST be:
− stopped immediately or as soon as safe to do so;
− resumed in accordance with the statement
Additional Duties of a Principal Contractor
on a Construction Project
Install signage
identifying the principal
contractor and their
contact details
Prepare a written WHS
Management Plan
before work commences
Inform each person of
content of WHS Plan
and its relationship to
their work
Obtain a Safe Work
Method Statement from
each PCBU before high
risk construction work
begins
Review and revise WHS Plan and
keep copies until the completion of
the project or for two years following
a notifiable incident
Principal Contractor must
manage risks associated with:
Storage, movement and disposal of materials and waste
Storage of plant that is not in use
Traffic management in the vicinity of workplace
Essential services at the workplace
Site Security
Regulatory Duties of a Principal Contractor
General workplace
management
Management of risks
of falls
First aid
Management of risks
of falling objects
Emergency plans
Storage of flammable
or combustible
substances
Management of risks
from hazardous
atmospheres
Provision of personal
protective equipment
Management of
airborne
contaminants
Person who commissions work MUST
Consult with the designer about
how to ensure risks arising from
the design during construction
work are:
• Eliminated, so far as is
reasonably practicable, or
• Minimised, so far as is reasonably
practicable
Give the designer and the principal contractor
information regarding hazards and risks
Design Safety Report
Must account for:

maintenance,

refurbishment,

demolition and

dismantling of a structure
Must specify hazards that may create
risks not only during initial building but
to workers who undertake
maintenance or demolition work in
the future
General Construction Induction
PCBUs must ensure that:

general induction training is
provided to relevant workers

workers have been trained before
directing or allowing a worker to
carry out construction work
Workers must:

keep their general induction
training card available for
inspection
Model Codes of Practice - Construction

Managing Risks in Construction Work

Excavation Work

Preventing Falls in Housing
Construction

Demolition

Safe Design of Building and
Structures
Activity 8: Case study 1



The contract value is less than $250k so the
subcontractors job is not a construction project
and the sub contractor does not have principal
contractor duties
The sub contractor does not have to prepare a
WHS plan but will have to work within the plan
provided by the principal contractor
As the work is high risk construction work the
sub contractor will need to prepare SWMS
relevant to their specific tasks
Workbook p42
Activity 8: Case study 2
 The
off site prefabrication work is not
construction work
 The
dismantling of prefab buildings is
construction work
 For
the dismantling work the PCBU would have
additional duties such as managing the risks of
construction work and preventing unauthorised
access.
Workbook p43