Builders at Denman Prospect have been fined $7,200 for dangerous practices after inspectors visited the project last week.
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This takes the total amount of penalties on the big greenfield construction project to more than $30,000.
WorkSafe said it had visited 26 homes being built and issued 19 "prohibition notices" ordering that unsafe practices must stop. It was the third unannounced inspection at Denman Prospect in an ongoing crackdown on unsafe construction practices.
The ACT's Work Health and Safety Commissioner, Jacqueline Agius, said the latest violations of safety law were due to the danger of falling from heights, unsafe scaffolding, electrical hazards, poor housekeeping and insecure site fencing.
"We issued notices at almost all of the 26 sites we visited on Wednesday, because these sites posed serious health and safety risks to workers and other people who might enter the sites."
Last week's unannounced inspections were the third at the project as part of an ongoing campaign called Operation Safe Prospect. The previous raids were in August and December.
In August, 16 notices were issued prohibiting dangerous practices. In December, 13 "prohibition notices" were issued. This third time, 19 such notices were issued.
"We will continue to visit greenfields sites, and issue notices, to help make sure people have a safe place to work," Jacqueline Agius said.
"Every worker deserves to go home safely at the end of a day's work."
The less serious "improvement notices" were issued last week for lack of adequate signs on the site and no safety management plans, poor toilet facilities and lack of first aid facilities.
"That's not dissimilar to what we've been finding in greenfield sites across Canberra and we've seen those issues time and time again in the residential construction sector," she said.
Ms Agius said one of the construction sites visited was across from a playground but with security fencing left open.
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"In a suburb like Denman Prospect we have houses that are at lock-up stage and we have houses where people live, and in those houses are children.
"If they can get through a fence and into a house that is under construction that poses a significant risk to the community."
Ms Agius said since the operation launched there had been a "slight improvement" in a reduction of serious risks being taken at construction sites.
"But nowhere near enough," she said. "It's still not good enough."
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."
