The Queensland LNP government’s decision to suspend the Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC) for major government projects potentially threatens workplace health and safety in the state. The Government claims that the suspension will lead to significant cost savings on major projects, but unions, including the CFMEU and the ETU, have voiced strong objections, warning that this policy shift may jeopardize safety standards.
The BPIC was introduced by the previous Labor government – it mandated strict safety guidelines for major construction projects valued at over $100M. The guidelines also included provisions for extreme weather conditions, PPE, and processes to ensure comprehensive health and safety rules.
Unions predict that moving away from prescriptive safety regulations on these projects will permit less-safe companies to bid to government contracts. Jacqueline King, general secretary of the Queensland Council of Unions, stated that the suspension indicates a troubling preference for non-union contractors, which could lead to lower wages and compromised safety standards on construction sites.
The health and safety provisions of the BPIC standard include rules around heat stress and extreme heat conditions.
Research from Monash Business School Centre of Health Economics shows a direct correlation between higher temperatures and increased injury claims of all types among workers, with a 0.24% increase in injury claims for each additional 1°C. Days with temperatures exceeding 30°C see significant spikes in workplace injuries – for example, temperatures of 33°C to 36°C result in 6.2% more injury claims than days of 18°C to 21°C.
Union representatives stress that without the BPIC standards workers face greater risks from heat stress and other hazardous conditions, likely leading to a rise in all types of workplace incidents. As the Queensland government frames its decision to suspend the BPIC as a productivity strategy, the real cost of this policy could result in the deterioration of hard-won safety conditions and workers’ rights.
Read more: Suspending BPICs on new major projects | Department of Energy and Climate
ISCRR Learning Series 17 - Impacts of Heat on Workers' Health on Vimeo