Health and safety need to be a central focus on every Queensland construction site, and a positive safety culture must be promoted on all worksites. This is best achieved by proactively managing safety issues and solving safety problems. There can be no scope for the misuse of workplace health and safety laws for industrial relations agendas.
While Queensland has a strong workplace health and safety system, we should always be looking for opportunities to do better. There are Queensland Codes that could be improved to better reflect contemporary construction methods.
Safer and more productive workplaces can be achieved without adding to the existing level of complexity and compliance. A commonsense, practical approach is needed. The focus must be on the quality, rather than the quantity, of legislation and regulation.
It is also important to support the mental health of our workforce.
What we are going to work to deliver
Advocacy with government:
- 1. Continue the review of the Queensland Codes of Practice.
- 2. Ensure Queensland’s workplace health and safety laws reflect, to the greatest extent possible, the National Model WHS Law.
- 3. Review Queensland’s workplace health and safety laws to remove rushed amendments which advance union interests, rather than genuine safety reform.
- 4. Provide funding to allow for the development of long-term, sustainable mental health support services such as Mates in Construction which support the building and construction industry.
Master Builders-led initiatives:
- Provide expert advice and training to members on current workplace safety issues.
Major Sponsors
