Queensland Report - February 2010

Queensland ombudsman investigates contract traffic control industry
In June 2009 a report was released following a 6 month investigation into Queensland’s Contract Traffic Control Industry.
The Workplace Ombudsman started the investigation focusing on a number of key areas including; compliance with industrial laws, measures to discourage inappropriate activities and provision of information to relevant persons to assist with informed decision making to achieve fairer workplaces.
The report contained a number of wide ranging recommendations that had the potential to involve various government departments and external agencies.
To consider the number of issues that arose, the ombudsman recommended the formation of a reference group. The Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations established the reference group as a task force.
The task force has been meeting to discuss the key issues contained in the report. One of the key industrial changes proposed, is that from 1 January 2010, the Building and Construction General On-site Award will cover the employment of road traffic controllers.
Some of the other discussions the Queensland CCF continue to be involved with include, improving safety, reviewing training for traffic controllers and developing training for supervisors responsible for traffic controllers.
Fire ant responsibilities
The fire ant season is here again, which means that inspectors are actively checking that construction activities in fire ant restricted areas are being undertaken according to the regulations. For the construction industry, movement of soil includes any disturbance over 1m3 within the site. It does not have to involve movement off the site.
If you regularly operate within the fire ant restricted area (parts of Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich and Gladstone Council areas – see map at www.dpi.qld.gov.au/4790_7500.htm, then you should have a approved risk management plan for service providers, which is a template document issued by DPI. You still need to have DPI inspection certification for every site, and if soil or other high risk materials such as vegetation or mulch are being moved off site, a movement certificate must accompany the material/vehicle as well.
The responsibility lies with the principal contractor to obtain the inspection certificate and to provide this to anyone operating on the site. They should also provide ongoing training. If you are a subcontractor OR have equipment on plant hire, you must have access to that inspection certification number, so ensure you have received a copy before you start work. As a minimum, it should be available in the site office.
Even on small jobs, such as residential sites where the home owner has organised the job, an inspection certificate is necessary. Although this is technically the owner’s responsibility, it is good business to check before going to the job that the inspection certificate is available, and ensure that you won’t end up with idle machinery while waiting for certificates. Be very conscious of clean down when leaving sites in fire ant restricted areas – there should be NO loose soil on machinery or trucks.
DPI runs free fire ant awareness courses. These are valuable training for anyone operating in these areas, and companies seeking to be issued with an approved risk management plan will have to attend one. They are generally held twice/ month at DPI training facilities at Seventeen Mile Rocks, in south west Brisbane.
More formation: www.dpi.qld.gov.au/4790_4538, or 132 523.
Why they are a problem
These South American ants pose a serious social, economic and environmental threat. They were first detected in the Brisbane area in early 2001 and have been declared a notifiable pest under the Queensland Plant Protection Act 1989. That means suspected sightings must be reported or you may face heavy fines.
CSIRO models suggest they could invade much of coastal and tropical Australia including some of our national parks and prime agricultural areas if their spread is not prevented.
Fire ants are a serious insect pest. They have the potential to destroy our outdoor lifestyle including sporting activities due to infestations on fields and golf courses, agricultural production and tourism. Their impact is not restricted to people though. Pets and domestic animals can also be stung and injured, and may have allergic reactions.
Fire ant stings may involve dozens of ants, make you feel like your body is on fire (hence the name) and effects can last for up to 10 days. On occasion people may have a severe allergic reaction which may be lethal, so medical attention should be sought particularly if there is any history of allergic reaction to insect bites.
They generally build their nests in the ground. However, colonies may also infest electrical equipment: air conditioners, traffic signal boxes, telephone junctions, airport landing lights, electric pumps, electrical utilities and even car electrical systems, causing substantial economic damage.
They can damage crops, gardens and native vegetation by attacking seeds, roots and girdling trunks, or may infest pastures and fodder causing injury to native and domestic animals and even death to newborn animals by stinging.
Construction activities are a high risk in spreading fire ants if not undertaken responsibly.
Information courtesy of Qld DEETI (Qld Dept Primary Industries and Fisheries).