The big housing construction site at Ginninderry has been told to improve its safety or face legal action.
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Inspectors from WorkSafe, the ACT's health and safety agency, found a string of safety breaches including unsafe scaffolding, with the danger of workers falling from height.
They issued one notice to stop a dangerous practice and 10 notices to improve practices on the site. The agency is not giving further details. Work on the safe parts of the site continues.
A statement said: "WorkSafe ACT has now issued 10 improvement notices and one prohibition notice at residential construction sites after finding safety breaches including fall from height risks due to unsafe scaffolding, poor housekeeping, site security and signage issues and electrical safety concerns."
It's the latest in a string of inspections which have discovered breaches of safety law on different sites in Canberra.
In late August, WorkSafe shut down 11 building sites after serious safety issues were uncovered.
Inspectors found more than 50 offences across the 11 sites.
And then in September, the agency took action against contractors on four residential construction projects in north Canberra.
Because of the danger of workers falling, it issued 14 notices where improvements to safety protection must be made and four notices ordering immediate work stoppage until safety was improved.
The ACT has a relatively new workplace health and safety commissioner. Jacqueline Agius started in April and since then has moved vigorously against dangerous practices on building sites.
She said she had been shocked by some of the practices she had seen like workers on roofs without harnesses, no scaffolding and no fall protection.
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"I remember driving away with one of my inspectors and feeling an overwhelming sense of doom thinking we are driving away from here on a Friday and anything could happen over the weekend or next week," Ms Agius said.
She said of the latest raids that they were part of "Operation Safe Prospect", WorkSafe ACT's ongoing campaign to improve safety in the residential construction industry.
"Over the past few months, our inspectors have been visiting greenfield sites across Canberra to make sure safety measures are being followed in residential construction," Ms Agius said.
"We want to make sure people are working in safe conditions, especially in higher-risk industries like construction."
Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
