Australia: Electrical Trades Union calls for solar industry to step up safety measures after alleged safety violations for construction workers on working holiday visas
In April 2024, ABC News published an article outlining occupational health and safety concerns for migrant workers on working holiday visas at large-scale solar plants in Australia.
Safety concerns include pressure to achieve targets to build the plant as quickly as possible, dangerous cabling, trade assistants doing the jobs of qualified electricians, trade assistants working without supervision, and safety officers sent home after raising safety concerns.
The Electrical Trades Union has raised concerns about these issues.
What we are talking about is actual electrical work, which should be performed by an electrical licence holder, being performed unsafely and not to standard.Electrical Trades Union
Later in April, Pinsent Masons released an article outlining the “unchartered territory” of health and safety in the solar industry. The article suggests safety regulators will increasingly focus on the solar industry in the future. The article outlines several steps companies can take to protect workers’ safety.