SafeWork NSW is running a safety sweep of North Coast construction businesses.

Construction sites across the NSW North Coast from Ballina to Tweed Heads are being visited by SafeWork Inspectors targeting unsafe working systems across all building trades.

The authorities will be focusing in particular on site housekeeping, height safety, falling objects, electrical, moving plant operations, and controlling risks related to silica and asbestos.

“Far too often our inspectors identify concerns with the way scaffolding is set up and other dangers involving working from heights so we will be targeting this area in particular,” says SafeWork NSW’s Tony Williams.

“Falls from heights are the number one killer on NSW construction sites with most people who are seriously injured or killed falling from a height of four metres or less,” Mr Williams said.

Mr Williams said cleanliness of a site can be a good indicator of safety and work standards.

“A safe construction site starts with a clean site and we’re seeing an unacceptable drop in standards across the construction industry,” Mr Williams said.

“Having a well-maintained site is also a good indicator of the quality of the work being done. If the site managers won’t remove trip and fire hazards like piles of rubbish from the site, there’s a good chance that building standards will be haphazard as well.”

On-the-spot fines of $3,600 for corporations and $720 for individuals can be issued to businesses who place workers' lives at risk through inadequate protection from falls from heights, or for those who undertake high risk work requiring a licence, or those undertaking high risk silica practices.