A Prominent building industry organisation has responded four months after scathing inquiry into the safety of Canberra’s construction sector.
The Master Builders Association (MBA) accepted a majority of the “Getting Home Safely” report’s 28 key recommendations, but it also made additional suggestions.
The association wants to introduce random drug and alcohol tests for workers in order to improve safety.
MBA organised a working group to reply to the report. Former director of the Australian War Memorial Steve Gower, will head the group.
Following months of considerations, Gower believes more can be done to improve Canberra’s workplace safety.
“If we are serious about safety in the workplace, as indeed we all should be, the time has arrived to have random testing of workers on the sites for impairment,” he said.
MBA ACT President Simon Butt cited drug and alcohol impairment as a continuous concern.
“The group felt that it was important,” he said.
“It is not a panacea, no particular element is a panacea to all of the problems that are going forward.
“But it is seen, and it has been around for a long time, and there has been some resistance from some industry players to actually bringing this on board.”
But ACT WorkSafe Commissioner Mark McCabe says drug and alcohol impairment is not the pertinent issue.
“The report responded to four fatalities in Canberra in one year and a large number of series injuries,” he said.
“None of those that I’m aware of related to drug and alcohol issues.”
More info on Construction Safety
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-27/mba-responds-to-safety-report/4597990?section=act
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