Construction fines for breaching public health orders

21 Aug, 2021, 11:46 am23 Aug, 2021, 1:06 pm Sarah Mason

NSW Government SafeWork NSW officers will be out in force this weekend visiting construction sites across Sydney after sites in Marsden Park, Riverstone and Liverpool were issued with $40,000 in fines for COVID breaches.

Minister for Better Regulation, Kevin Anderson, said following the two-week construction pause, sites were allowed to open only if they followed the COVID requirements for occupied and unoccupied sites under the Public Health Order.

“The NSW Government understands and appreciates the important role the construction sector plays to our State and we are doing everything we can to ensure it is able to keep operating while keeping communities safe,” Mr Anderson said.

“Site operators need to comply with capacity limits to reduce contact, ensure their workers are complying with COVID-19 vaccine requirements and have a safety plan, including a QR code, in place.

“SafeWork Inspectors will be visiting sites, particularly in the identified LGAs that can only do construction work on unoccupied sites and must have vaccinated workers, to assist the industry in implementing controls which prevent transmission of COVID-19.

“While it is the site operator which must enforce the rules, I am urging tradies to support their workmates and the industry by signing in with the QR code, wearing face masks at all times, and in the identified LGAs getting vaccinated and doing the right thing at work by following the orders,” Mr Anderson said.

In the last week fines were issued at three building sites, including:

A site in Marsden Park, which received two $5,000 fines after it was found that the site operator did not ensure a worker from an identified LGA was vaccinated, and the site failed to have in place COVID protocols including QR codes.
A site in Riverstone, which was fined $10,000 after two workers from Blacktown and Parramatta had not met the vaccination and testing requirements.
A site in Liverpool, which received $20,000 in fines for not ensuring workers were vaccinated or tested as per Public Health Orders, and for not ensuring workers were wearing masks or had scanned the QR code.