Legislation
Legislation in the construction industry ensures the quality of constructing buildings and ensures the safety of people. The following legislation is relevant to this module:
- Building Act 2004 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
- Building Regulations (relevant to each state/territory)
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
- Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
- The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
- The Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulations 1979 (and relevant state and territory instruments)
- Other state and territory-based legislation and policies affecting buildings as described in NCC2019 (See Schedule 1)
- Relevant local laws depending on local government area.
You also need to be mindful that legislation can be subject to change. You will need to ensure you keep up to date with the legislation and monitor any changes that may have occurred.
Levelling tools
Levelling is the process of identifying the heights of specific points above or below another point on a building site. There are a range of tools and equipment that you will need to become familiar with when carrying out levelling. Some of the more common tools include automatic level, laser level, plumb bob, spirit level, straight edge and string line.
Safety considerations
Levelling requires a high level of concentration and you are often highly focussed on one specific point. It can be easy to lose track of what is going on around you and to suffer from lapses in situational awareness. Be particularly vigilant when you are moving around the site. Watch for vehicles, pay attention to barricades and signs and remind yourself regularly of the hazards on site.
There are a number of different types of laser levels which you can learn about here: https://laserman.com.au/blogs/buying-guide/buying-guide-laser-levels
You will find step by step instructions and a video for calibrating different types of laser levels at https://www.redbacklasers.com.au/2017/10/02/how-to-check-you-laser-level-calibration/
Safe Work Australia have an information sheet about the different classifications of lasers at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/laser-classification-and-potential-hazards
For more information on using spirit levels, go to https://www.johnsonlevel.com/News/SpiritLevelInformation
You can find more about using a water level here: https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/water-level.htm
For more information about how to use a string line level, go to: https://www.johnsonlevel.com/News/LineLevels
You can learn more about emergency plans in the fact sheet produced by Safe Work Australia at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/topic/emergency-plans-and-procedures
Watch the video below for more information about shooting levels for concrete slabs.
Watch the video below for more information about transferring levels and heights for formwork.