Site Safety questions

A White Card is the general construction induction card. People doing construction work on a site generally need one. A visitor is not automatically required to hold one just to visit, but must follow the site's entry, escort and safety rules. SafeWork SA states that White Cards are recognised across Australia. Whether you personally need one as an owner builder is set by your state. Victoria's regulator lists it as a requirement for owner builders, but it was not stated on every state's owner builder page we checked, so confirm with your state regulator. Training must be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation. You should also give everyone a site specific induction before they start.

In MyBuildHub: keep a copy of each worker's card details and induction records in your project documents and your Contacts.

Check yourself: SafeWork SA White Card, Victoria White Cards and your state WHS regulator.

General information only. It is not legal advice and may not apply to your project. Rules differ by state and change over time, so confirm with your regulator, certifier or a lawyer before acting.

Check the construction hours and noise requirements for the property with the approval authority or council before scheduling work. State or territory environmental rules may also apply. Do not assume that working within usual hours allows unreasonable noise. Give contractors the applicable conditions and a contact for complaints. Investigate a neighbour's concern against the actual rules; the complaint alone does not determine whether a breach has occurred.

Official sources:

• EPA Victoria construction noise

General information only. Requirements vary by state or territory and change over time, so check the current rules for your location.

The person responsible for the site must arrange the security, access, facilities and signs required by local safety law and approval conditions. These can include barriers, toilets, drinking water, washing facilities and safe access. The details depend on the site and workforce. Identify responsibilities before starting, including for deliveries and visitors. A building contract can allocate tasks, but does not remove duties imposed by law. Ask the local safety regulator if the requirements are unclear.

Official sources:

• SWA Working on a construction site model guidance
• WorkSafe WA Construction code of practice
• SWA Regulator and workers compensation directory

General information only. Requirements vary by state or territory and change over time, so check the current rules for your location.

Get emergency help and make the area safe without putting others at risk. Call 000 for an emergency. If the incident is legally notifiable, the relevant duty holder must notify the local safety regulator immediately and preserve the site as required, subject to lawful exceptions such as rescue. Not every injury or near miss is notifiable. Follow the local reporting procedure and insurer requirements; do not wait for an insurance decision before making a required regulatory notification. Reporting to a builder or insurer is not necessarily a substitute for the regulator notification. Several parties can hold duties, so confirm that the required notification has actually been made.

Official sources:

• SWA Incident reporting model guidance
• WorkSafe Victoria Notifiable incidents
• SWA Regulator and workers compensation directory

General information only. Requirements vary by state or territory and change over time, so check the current rules for your location.

A safe work method statement, or SWMS, sets out high-risk construction work, its hazards and the measures to control them. Where the local safety law requires a SWMS, the responsible duty holder must ensure it is prepared before the work and that the work follows it. It is not required for every routine task. Principal contractors can have additional checking and coordination duties. Use the local regulator's definition of high-risk construction work.

Official sources:

• WorkSafe Victoria SWMS
• WorkSafe WA Construction code of practice
• WorkSafe ACT WHS management plans

General information only. Requirements vary by state or territory and change over time, so check the current rules for your location.

If there is an immediate danger, arrange emergency assistance and stop unsafe activity through the person controlling it. Otherwise record the concern, notify your builder and relevant insurer, and obtain technical advice to prevent further damage. Check approval conditions and any boundary, access or protection-work requirements. A dilapidation report can assist with evidence but does not decide liability. Seek legal advice about disputed rights, damage or compensation.

Official sources:

• BPC Protecting adjoining properties
• SWA Construction WHS duties model guidance

General information only. Requirements vary by state or territory and change over time, so check the current rules for your location.

Falls from height are one of the most serious risks on a building site. Safety laws require the person in control of the work to manage fall risks, which commonly means edge protection, scaffolding or other controls when people work on roofs, upper floors or near open edges. Under the model safety laws used in most states, erecting or altering scaffolding where a person or object could fall more than four metres requires a licensed scaffolder. Check what your state requires and who is responsible on your site before work at height starts.

General information only. Requirements vary by state or territory and change over time, so check the current rules for your location.

Before disturbing soil, check the approval conditions, council requirements and environmental rules for the site. Agree who will install, inspect and maintain erosion, sediment and stormwater controls, including after rain. Ask a suitably qualified adviser which controls the site needs. If a builder is engaged, confirm what is included in the contract. Do not assume assigning the work to a contractor removes every responsibility you may have as the property owner.

Official sources:

• Brisbane City Council erosion and stormwater controls
• NSW EPA Water pollution

General information only. Requirements vary by state or territory and change over time, so check the current rules for your location.

Safety duties depend on the work, who carries on the undertaking and who manages or controls the site. They are not settled solely by the building contract. Principal-contractor duties can apply to qualifying projects, and several parties can have overlapping duties. Owner-builders should confirm their position with the local regulator before work starts. Victoria uses its own OHS legislation; other jurisdictions have WHS legislation with local differences. Agree safe homeowner and visitor access with the person controlling the site.

Official sources:

• SWA Construction WHS duties model guidance
• SWA Regulator and workers compensation directory
• WorkSafe Victoria Principal contractor definition

General information only. Requirements vary by state or territory and change over time, so check the current rules for your location.