January 21, 2010More than 370 insulation installers have been audited by Queensland Government electrical safety inspectors as part of a statewide safety blitz.
Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick yesterday announced inspectors from the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland are well on track to achieve their target of auditing 500 companies by the end of January.
"Inspectors began their blitz of insulation installers in late November following the deaths of three workers within the industry across the nation, including two in Queensland," Dick says.
"The inspectors have been checking that insulation installers are meeting their safety obligations as well as complying with new rules that came into effect from 1 November last year to improve worker and householder safety,” he says.
According to Dick, the ESO and WHSQ are conducting comprehensive investigations into the fatalities of insulation installers aged 25 and 16 years in separate incidents on October 14 in Brisbane and November 18 in Stanwell, Central Queensland.
"Two deaths only a few weeks apart highlighted, in the most tragic circumstances, the electrical and other workplace safety risks associated with installing ceiling insulation,” he says.
"Such tragedies can be avoided if installers take basic safety precautions on every job.”
