Don't be a fall guy

This 1962 instructional film demonstrates safety regulations on building sites in Sydney, New South Wales. Narrated by a didactic voiceover, the film dramatises the do’s and dont’s of construction sites, including good housekeeping, adequate lighting, head protection, guard rails, proper scaffolding and safety lines. It emphasises the risks of carelessness and overconfidence of builders working without proper safety equipment.

In order to demonstrate this, the film restages several accidents, including a man falling down an open lift shaft after the guard rail was removed by a fellow builder. The film also includes footage of riggers climbing steel frames on multi-story buildings without safety harnesses, in what would have been standard practice in this era.

Produced by the New South Wales Department of Labour and Industry.

Please note: As this is an archival work, the content does not reflect current practice or standards. Professional advice for up-to-date safety practices should be sought from the appropriate contemporary authority.