Residential construction:
If you are about to have a new house built, or are considering major renovations, there are a number of points to consider before work commences. Safety is of utmost importance.
If any of the following will apply to you during the construction period, you will be required to have a temporary fence installed:
- If the site is close to other residential buildings where children may play out of site working hours;
- If the site is close to local schools or routes that children may take home;
- If there are excavations on site, eg. open trenches, pier holes, or swimming pools;
- If there are going to be deliveries of building materials to the site;
- If there is any risk to the public of being hit by falling objects related to construction on the site;
- If there are sharp materials left on site, eg. reo bars, nails in timber or form work materials;
- If the public is at risk in any way due to the construction work or equipment used;
- If there is any chance of construction debris (including wind-blown debris) to leave the site;
- If there is any chance of unauthorised access on the site by anyone.
Also, if any of the above applies to you, and you choose not to install fencing, you will need to explain how you will secure the site. It pays to consider installing safety signs, eg. ‘Danger – excavation’; or ‘Danger – no unauthorised access’, etc.
If it is not practical for you to use safety fencing (eg, if there is not enough space, or if the fencing itself could cause an extra hazard), you may be able to barricade off an area with a suitable high-visibility mesh barrier, using 1.0–1.2 m high star posts.
If you are using fencing on your site, your fencing will need to meet health and safety requirements, some of which are:
- The fencing needs to be constructed from suitable materials, with no gaps;
- The fencing panels need to be difficult to climb;
- There should be no gaps under or through the fence, therefore barricading access;
- The fencing should be erected on a firm foundation throughout the construction process, and within the boundaries of the construction site (if fencing protrudes onto public areas, you need permission from the council);
- Fencing should be stable and strong enough to withstand any loads to which it will be subjected – including strong winds, people trying to climb it, forces caused by people in heavy pedestrian areas, etc;
- Gates should be overlapped so they can be locked easily, and should be reasonably level so they can be opened safely.
The above information is supplied by Work Cover, New South Wales. If you are unsure of whether or not you need temporary fencing, or if you have any other fencing queries, just speak to one of our staff. Fill in your details on our Home page for a quote, or ring us on: 0425-201-252. (We service the Newcastle/ Hunter Valley areas, but if you are unsure if your area is serviced, just ask us.)
Our fencing specialists have over 15 years’ professional experience. We are fully trained and hold all relevant insurances – and all fencing is installed to Australian Standards. Chainwire Fencing Newcastle use Australian made steel fencing manufactured to strict industry quality standards, and we make sure our clients obtain strong fencing construction at fair prices.