Australian Capital Territory Current Regulations

SCAFFOLDING AND LIFTS REGULATION 1950 - REG 73

        (a)     provide suitable and safe scaffolding, which shall conform to the requirements of this regulation, for all work that cannot be done safely by a person standing on permanent or solid construction, except when the work can be done safely from ladders constructed in conformity with the provisions of this regulation; and

        (b)     provide and maintain safe means of access to every place where any person has to work at any time; and

        (c)     provide means by fencing or otherwise for securing the safety of any person working at a place from which the person would be liable to fall a distance of more than 6 feet; and

        (d)     make provision to secure and maintain lighting (natural or artificial) sufficient and suitable for the illumination of all work places, stairways, corridors and passageways where persons must frequent, pass or use in the performance of their work or in passage to or from their work; and

        (e)     whenever artificial lighting is provided—ensure that the lamps are so placed and shaded that they will not affect the safety of persons by producing glare or deep shadows and that the lamps are protected against breakage by wire guards; and

        (f)     keep all stairways, corridors and passageways free from loose materials and debris, building materials, supplies and obstructions of every kind; and

        (g)     where practicable provide overhead protection for persons working below other persons or where there is a likelihood of persons being injured by objects falling from above; and

        (h)     ensure that the overhead protection is by means of timber or other material of strength and construction reasonably adequate to catch, deflect or hold any reasonable weight of material or objects that may fall on the protective construction; and

              (i)     provide head protective helmets, of an approved type, for the use of persons working in places over which it is impracticable to fix overhead protection; and

        (j)     effectively fence in the way prescribed by this regulation, all platforms, the open sides of all floors, openings in floors, roofs and platforms into which persons could accidentally walk, the open sides of stairways and stairway landings and all excavations and holes more than 5 feet deep; and

        (k)     cause all working places and approaches to them to be adequately ventilated by the circulation of fresh air the ventilation to be such as to render harmless all fumes, dust or other impurities that may be injurious to health, generated or produced by any means in any such working place and approach; and

        (l)     if in connection with any chipping, grinding, cleaning, spraying or manipulation of any material, there is given off any dust or fume of such a character and to such extent as to be likely to be injurious to the health of persons employed—take all practicable measures either by securing adequate ventilation or by the provision and use of respirators (of a type approved by the chief inspector) or otherwise to prevent inhalation of the dust or fume; and

        (m)     cause all exhaust gases of every engine used in an enclosed or confined space to be conducted to the open air and the place to be adequately ventilated so as to prevent danger to health from the exhaust gases; and

        (n)     if any persons are employed in a process in which a lead compound or other poisonous substance is used—provide for the use of persons liable to come into contact with the compound or substance adequate and suitable facilities for washing, which shall include nail brushes, soap and towels; and

        (o)     provide, where there is carried on any process specified schedule 4, the goggles of the types that are approved by the chief inspector, or effective screens to protect the eyes of persons employed on the building work; and

        (p)     cause measures to be taken to ensure that scaffolding materials, tools and other objects and materials (including waste material) shall not be thrown, tipped or shot down from a height where they are liable to cause injury, but to be properly lowered, and in any place where proper lowering is not practicable and also where any part of a structure is being demolished or broken off to cause adequate steps to be taken, if necessary, to protect persons from falling or flying debris; and

        (q)     cause protruding nails to be knocked in or removed from all materials used in the construction of scaffolding, false work and shuttering and take measures to ensure that no timber or material with projecting nails is allowed to remain in any place where persons are liable to come into contact with them; and

        (r)     take all practicable precautions by the use of adequate temporary guys, stays, supports and fixings or otherwise to prevent danger to any person through the collapse of any part of a building or structure during any temporary state of weakness or instability of the building or structure or part before the building or structure is completed; and

        (s)     if any building work is carried on that is likely to reduce, so as to endanger any person, the security or stability of any part of an existing building or structure or of a building or structure in course of construction—take all practicable precautions by shoring or otherwise to prevent danger to any person from the collapse of the building or structure or the fall of any part of it; and

        (t)     not move or permit or allow to be moved on the site of the building work any ironwork or steelwork on which there is wet paint other than paint for the purpose of jointing; and

        (u)     if on or adjacent to the site of any building work to which this regulation applies there is water into which a person employed is in the course of his or her employment liable to fall with risk of drowning—provide and keep ready for use suitable rescue equipment of an approved type and take all steps necessary for the prompt rescue of any such person in danger of drowning; and

              (v)     cause electric light and electric power installations and the electrical equipment of cranes, hoists, and plant to be installed, used and maintained in conformity with the provisions of this regulation; and

        (w)     provide adequate and suitable overhead protection to prevent persons being struck by the falling products of an electric arc or flame metal cutting process; and

              (x)     provide the first-aid equipment, sanitary conveniences, washing facilities, drinking water and shelter, change and dining accommodation that are prescribed by this regulation.

    (2)     However, despite subsection (1) (j) it shall be permissible to remove when necessary any guardrail, fence or part of it for the purpose of handling materials or for the installation of other work, subject to the guardrail, fence or part being at once replaced on completion of the work.

    (3)     For this section:

"lead compound" means any material containing lead which, when treated in the way prescribed in schedule 5, yields to an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid a quantity of soluble lead compound exceeding, when calculated as lead monoxide, 5% of the dry weight of the sample taken for analysis.