Occupational Health and Safety Shortcoming in the Australian Construction Industry

By Sonja Petrovic-Lazarevic and Marcia Perry

The physical nature of the construction industry still distinguishes it from many other occupations. Fatal falls remain a major hazard.

This paper discusses key research findings concerning essential overall occupational health and safety measures that are required in large organisations in the Australian construction industry. The project comprises a preliminary evaluation of the role of managers, employees and governments in occupational health and safety enforcement in large construction operations. Interview questions concerned procedures in place to resolve occupational health and safety conflicts on the construction sites, responsibility for OHS, levels of government and industry cooperation, balancing the principles of self-regulation, government regulation, efforts by the federal government to improve OHS n the industry, mechanisms of enforcement of OHS and encouragement of OHS, determination and application of safety performance for the industry, a comparison of Australian performance with other countries and the relationship of improved OHS performance with competitive advantage.

(Monash University. Dept of Management Working paper no 28/04)