03:55 pm, Saturday 20 March, 2010

WorkSafe inspectors will return to Seaford to check on businesses in the area.

Inspectors dropped by Seaford as part of WorkSafe’s safety campaign in February. They issued 79 safety improvement notices during the visit.

In the return trip, WorkSafe inspectors will check if the businesses concerned complied with the notices. They will also conduct additional checks of local businesses.

The February visit revealed positive safety performance of Seaford businesses, although there were serious issues that need to be resolved at the 112 workplaces visited.

WorkSafe identified frayed or damaged electrical cords, damaged racking systems, inappropriate storage of dangerous goods and inadequate railing on mezzanine floors as major concerns.

Inspectors also found substandard maintenance of machinery and equipment as a common problem among Seaford businesses. They found forklifts, lifting equipment and air receivers with poor service records.

“Most of the businesses in Seaford were quite receptive to the inspections and understood the importance of providing a safe working environment for their employees,” WorkSafe Acting Executive Director Stan Krpan said.

“When something goes wrong at work, the consequences are often disastrous and happen quickly, but can also be long lasting with human and serious commercial effects.

“This is why it is so important to identify and fix safety issues as early as possible to prevent unnecessary incidents.

“All small businesses must be proactive about safety – lives depend on it.”

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know