Project status: Active

How can we improve subcontractor management to achieve greater safety outcomes across NSW construction sites?

The construction industry has one of the highest rates of workplace injury and fatality in NSW. One of the factors contributing to this risk is poor subcontractor management.

Poor subcontractor management can lead to serious harm. Factors that contribute to poor subcontractor management include a lack of understanding of roles and responsibilities, time and financial pressures, inadequate communication among work teams and unfavourable safety conditions and attitudes on site.

While previous research has explored the difficulties around subcontracting, high quality and effective subcontractor management remains a challenge for the industry, with principal contractors themselves expressing concerns over the difficulties of managing onsite safety.

Improving safety outcomes and subcontractor compliance on NSW construction sites.

The Centre has partnered with RMIT University to undertake research to:

• Understand subcontracting practices, relationships, communication and behaviours in relation to harm prevention in the construction industry.
• Understand the causes of unsafe practices, incidents and harm originating from subcontracting arrangements.
• Understand the challenges and drivers of subcontractor compliance with WHS Standards, including the use of safe work method statements (SWMS).
• Understand the uptake and effectiveness of existing solutions for principal contractors and/or subcontractors to use to improve safety outcomes.
• Develop and test solution/s for principal and/or subcontractors to use, to improve safety outcomes in the NSW construction industry.
• Identify ways to promote industry uptake of solutions to improve safety outcomes and enhance compliance with WHS Standards, including the use of SWMS.

Want to know more?

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