We have all heard about the continuing changes to the Health and Safety Act and as LBP builders should all be aware of our requirements to provide a safe and healthy work environment for ourselves , employees and other tradesmen working on building sites.

A few ways to ensure we are adhering to law changes are , regular tool box meetings highlighting hazards on building sites and ways to make them as safe as possible ( these should be recorded), Health and safety policy , Site specific health and safety policy,s , site signage, scaffolding, safety nets for height work, harnesses for height work etc etc.

In the article attached a builder was fined 60k for an accident incurred by an employee falling from a ladder where he should have been on a scaffold.

Such a simple thing that we might take for granted can really come back to bite you as this builder has found out the hard way . Something as simple as a Ladder fall costs builder 60k in court costs and reparations.

Unfortunately the cost involved ensuring we are abiding by the new laws has to be paid by the builder who in turn must include this as part of the build cost to the client meaning the client is actually paying for it but it is the law and we must abide by it or run the risk of being prosecuted.

In our view it is not worth the risk as something as simple as falling from a ladder can cost you 60k.

Please read more on the article attached below

ladder-fall-costs-builder-60k-yahoo-new-zealand