New hot weather guidelines for construction industry

20/2/94

New guidelines for working safely in the construction industry during hot weather have been produced by the State Government as part of the push to prevent hot weather shut-downs of building sites.

Labour Relations Minister Graham Kierath said the guidelines had been based on practices used in the north of the State.

They identified the risk factors associated with hot weather, indicated that a single risk factor such as air temperature should not be used in isolation to predict the risk of heat stress and suggested safe systems of work.

"There are numerous examples of major construction sites in the north of the State where work is conducted safely in temperatures greater than 38 degrees every day for weeks," Mr Kierath said.

"Safe systems developed in the North are directly applicable to the Perth area to maintain safety and productivity on hot days.

"If the attitude to hot weather taken by construction unions in the Perth area was applied in the North, then construction work could only be done for three or four months of the year and no resource projects would get off the ground."

Mr Kierath cited the construction work at the giant iron ore project at Marandoo near Tom Price, where temperatures were in excess of 38 degrees over the past month, yet construction work continued.

Safe systems of work recommended in the guidelines included:

·       re-organising work so that more was done in cooler parts of the day;

·       providing sufficient breaks in cooler areas during hot periods;

·       working in shaded areas wherever possible;

·       encouraging drinks of 100 to 200ml of cool water at frequent intervals; and

·       wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing and a wide brimmed attachment on helmets.

Mr Kierath said he accepted productivity would be lower on hot days.  However, staying at work using safe systems provided a much higher level of productivity than the zero productivity previously enforced by unions at Perth sites on hot days.

"The State Government Building Management Authority-run construction sites have set the example under the Building and Construction Industry Code of Practice for working safely in hot weather and the private sector sites in Perth need to follow the example of the BMA and private companies up North," he said.

The new guidelines for working safely in hot weather in the construction industry are available free of charge from the Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare on 327 8700.

Media contact:  Brian Coulter 481 2133