Residential Construction

As a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you must meet your obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and any COVID-19 Public Health Directions.

You should consider the development of a COVID Safety Plan. A COVID Safety Plan should:

  • encourage workers to stay home if they are unwell. If they are well enough to work, or are household contacts, encourage them to work from another location, such as their home. Keep in mind this may change, increase or create new work health and safety risks e.g. domestic violence.
  • encourage good hand hygiene by providing access to appropriate hygiene facilities
  • encourage the use of face masks where physical distancing is difficult to maintain
  • undertake regular cleaning and disinfecting of the workplace, particularly for surfaces that are frequently touched, and
  • conduct regular training for workers on COVID Smart behaviours.

You must consult with your workers about what you plan to do. If you decide to have a COVID Safety Plan, you should keep a copy of it readily available at the workplace.

More information on COVID Safety Plans is available in ACT Governments COVID Safety Planning section.

If you do not have a COVID Safety Plan, you must still manage the risks using your risk management system.

As a PCBU you must ensure that there are safe systems of work for managing the risks of COVID-19 at the workplace. This includes an appropriate risk assessment and the implementation of control measures using the hierarchy of controls. While it is no longer mandatory, you should still consider having a COVID Safety Plan. A COVID Safety Plan should include measures to:

  • Encourage workers to stay home if they are unwell. Where workers are COVID-10 positive and well enough to work, or are household contacts, encourage them to work from another location, such as their home. Keep in mind this may change, increase or create new work health and safety risks e.g. domestic violence.
  • Encourage good hand hygiene by providing access to appropriate hygiene facilities.
  • Encourage the use of face masks where physical distancing is difficult to maintain.
  • Undertake regular cleaning and disinfecting of the workplace, particularly for surfaces that are frequently touched.
  • Conduct regular training for workers on COVID Smart behaviours.

You must consult with your workers about what you plan to do and have a copy of the COVID Safety Plan readily available at the workplace.

More Information for Businesses developing a COVID Safety plan is available in the ACT Governments Keeping your business COVID Smart. A COVID Safety Plan template for the construction industry is available on the NSW government website. You can use this as a guide on how to design your COVID Safety Plan.

Hygiene measures

There are important hygiene measures that should considered for working on site. For example:

  • Physical distancing, such as using floor markings in common areas or adopt different shift patterns or stagger work.
  • Displaying hygiene information in prominent locations.
    • Free posters are available on the ACT Government website Signs and factsheets - COVID-19, including appropriate messaging for culturally and linguistically diverse workers.
  • Limit the sharing of tools, plant, and equipment.
    • Where sharing can’t be avoided, develop plans to regularly clean and disinfect tools, plant, and equipment.
  • Cleaning frequently touched surfaces and equipment regularly with appropriate cleaning and sanitising disinfectants.

More information

The ACT COVID-19 website has all the most up to date information for businesses during the lockdown.

Contact WorkSafe ACT

If you want to report non-compliance with the WHS laws or COVID-19 requirements you can call WorkSafe ACT on 13 22 81 Monday to Friday 7am-8pm and on weekends from 8am-5pm, or email at worksafe@worksafe.act.gov.au

If you need to notify WorkSafe ACT of a dangerous incident, please use this notification form.

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