There has been a positive response from community groups and individuals to the Australian Safety and Compensation Council’s (ASCC) Draft National Code of Practice for the Safe Handling of Tilt-up Wall Panels and Concrete Elements in Building Construction.
The Chairman of the ASCC, Mr Bill Scales said that this was the first time submissions received by the ASCC have been made widely available to the public.
“Tilt-up and pre-cast concrete construction is an increasingly common method used in the building industry. Tragically, there have been a number of incidents in recent years where people have been severely injured or have died as a result of being crushed by panels which have collapsed or have fallen.”
“In developing the Code, the ASCC has worked closely with representatives of the construction industry, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Australian, state and territory governments.”
“A preliminary analysis of comments has revealed a number of issues that must be considered, including clarifying the scope of the code of practice, and its relationship to other Australian Standards; developing greater clarity around the obligations of duty holders, especially for designers and persons with control; ensuring clarity in definitions in the code; and ensuring that the final document meets industry needs and is easy to use.”
“In the next few months the Office of the ASCC will consider all submissions in detail and revise the draft code, taking into account all the comments” Mr Scales said.
A revised code is expected to be finalised for ASCC declaration by the end of this year.
Submissions can be viewed by visiting the ASCC website www.ascc.gov.au.
Source: BPN
