Safety is Union Business

Australian construction has become safer because workers have stood up for their right to work to live.

Overseas research confirms that workplaces with strong union membership are safer. It's logical. Workers who are prepared to have a go, who form Safety Committees and refuse to accept unsafe working conditions, improve the industry for everyone.  

The struggle against excessive hours, employers cutting costs and shoddy safety continues every day.

CFMEU NSW Branches have a strong network of elected Safety Delegates who deal with day-to-day safety issues on sites. They are supported by Safety Organisers, who are always on hand with information and for incidents or problems.

The CFMEU also works with employers and governments to develop better safety practices for our industry.

All CFMEU NSW Training Centres run courses on different aspects of construction safety - from required induction-level safety tickets, up to a Diploma in Workplace Health and Safety.

The CFMEU places a high priority on workplace health & safety. Unfortunately, many employers put profits before the safety of workers and the end result is workplace injuries and fatalities. On average one building worker is killed on a building site across Australia each week. Most fatalities occur on non-union sites. On these sites the workers generally do not have union delegates and elected worker safety representatives.

The best way to improve workplace safety is to ensure all workers are union members. A strong union presence means workers have more rights and confidence to stand up. You also need to elect union delegates & worker safety representatives who are committed to the rank & file. These delegates need to be trained by the union to ensure they understand their rights and are better equipped.

The Union’s Safety Officers have decades of industry experience and expertise. Our Safety Officers co-ordinate the workplace health & safety work of the union and assists organisers who visit sites and audit safety. All union organisers receive safety training. When required they provide the organisers and workplace delegates with support in these audits. One of their core responsibilities is to co-ordinate the investigation of serious accidents and fatalities.

If it was not for the hard work of the CFMEU checking sites and organising stoppage of unsafe work, many more building workers would be injured, maimed or killed. If you have a safety problem on your site contact our Counter Organiser at the union office for advice and assistance.