The Major Transport Infrastructure Authority (MTIA) has established a specialised safety team to verify that the strict safety measures – issued by the Department of Health and Human Services – are being implemented on major road and rail projects.
This ‘safety squad’ consists of approximately 70 staff, many of whom travel to worksites to carry out random spot-checks at the Metro Tunnel, West Gate Tunnel, level crossing removals and more than 100 other road and rail projects.
These inspections help ensure the health and wellbeing of the workforce, in order to keep Victoria’s Big Build moving forward and to ensure people can remain employed throughout the pandemic.
Contractors on project sites are also conducting daily spot-checks and have their own safety protocols in place, including:
- physical distancing
- wearing the correct personal protective equipment (face masks and gloves) if working in close proximity to another worker
- reducing the amount of time 2 workers are in close proximity
- proper hygiene measures and staggered shift times.
MTIA project sites have increased procedures in place to help make physical distancing easier for workers, including:
- limiting the size of workgroups at pre-start meetings
- providing visible ‘physical distancing’ markings in pre-start areas
- additional crib space and signage to crib huts to maintain 4 square metres per person
- staggered meal breaks to limit numbers in communal spaces.
Works are continuing across all MTIA project sites and there are currently no confirmed COVID-19 cases on MTIA project sites.