Latest Injuries & Incidents
Docks death costs company $330,000
A transport company was last week convicted and fined $330,000 following the death of an employee who was crushed by a falling metal beam at West Melbourne’s docks.
L. Arthur Pty Ltd was sentenced and fined on Friday in Melbourne’s County Court after pleading guilty to two charges under the OHS Act (2004) of failing to provide a safe workplace for people other than its employees, and that of its own employees.
The court heard that L. Arthur was engaged by P&O Automotive and General Stevedoring on an occasional basis to move unusual and heavy cargo on and off ships at Appleton Dock.
On 14 July 2010, two employees from L. Arthur and two employees from POAGS were using a gantry crane to unload a 27-tonne steel drum from a truck at the dock. The gantry crane was made up of two separate lifting rams, which were used to lift a central three-tonne metal beam.
For safety reasons, the lifting rams had to be raised or lowered in unison to ensure the beam stayed level at all times. The lifting rams were powered by diesel pump units connected by pressure hoses. The lifting rams would not extend or retract without the pressure hoses being connected.
To allow the truck to position the steel drum underneath the crane, the pressure hoses from the rams on one unit were disconnected to avoid being damaged by the reversing truck. Disconnecting the hoses was a normal part of the system of work.
But the hoses were not reconnected before the crane was positioned above the drum. As there was no hydraulic power to one of the lifting rams, it did not lower when the crane began operating. But the other lifting ram did.
As a result, the three-tonne steel beam slipped and fell on POAGS employee Steven Piper, killing him. The other three workers narrowly avoided being struck.
WorkSafe regional director Shane Gillard said Mr Piper’s death was a terrible tragedy.
“Mr Piper rightly expected to go home at the end of his working day. Instead, his family are still grieving the loss of a loved one, and his friends and colleagues are grieving the loss of a mate,” Mr Gillard said.
“The enormity of the impact of a workplace death can never be underestimated. This case serves as a clear reminder to every employer and employee that safety must be their number one priority.”
Referenece: WorkSafe VIC www.worksafenews.com.au
Roofing company and Director fined $100,000 over fall
A Great Southern construction company has been fined $65,000 over the death of a man who fell seven metres through a skylight in the roof of a shed under construction near Esperance.
As the entity in control of the workplace, Cochrane & Sons Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the workplace was safe for a person who was not an employee and, by that failure, causing the death of a worker and was fined in the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
In March 2011, Cochrane & Sons began construction of a 28 metre long, 18 metre wide and seven metre tall steel shed at Wye Farm in Salmon Gums near Esperance.
On May 31, the steel frame of the shed had been erected and the wall cladding and roof sheeting (made up of zincalume sheets and polycarbonate skylights) was being installed, with five workers involved in that task.
During the morning, the roof sheets and skylights had been put into place and “tacked” down with a small number of screws to temporarily hold them in position. After lunch, the workers proceeded to permanently fix the sheets in place.
In the mid-afternoon, one of the workers needed to cross the roof to retrieve the screws for the polycarbonate skylights from the other side of the roof. In the process, he stepped from a zincalume sheet over the ridge and onto a polycarbonate sheet.
The sheet gave way and the worker fell around seven metres to the ground, suffering fatal injuries.
The court heard that safety mesh had not been installed under the roof, despite the requirement on the plans to do so. No edge protection had been installed on the building, and there were no harnesses available on the site for workers performing tasks at height.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch today expressed his disappointment that court cases involving falls from height were still arising.
“It’s really disappointing that employers and persons in control of workplaces are still neglecting to protect workers against falls from height when falls are so easily preventable and it need not be difficult or costly to ensure that safe systems of work are in place,” Mr McCulloch said.
“In this case, there was no mesh, no edge protection and no harnesses – it really was just a tragedy waiting to happen.
“After the incident, the company bought two rolls of safety mesh that cost $80 a roll, along with two roofer’s kits containing static lines and harnesses for $450.00 each.
“This is not a huge outlay to prevent a fall, and unfortunately it was made too late for the worker who lost his life on this job.
“Falls are a significant cause of workplace death, and 17 Western Australian workers have died as a result of falls in the last four years. Many others have been seriously and permanently injured as a result of preventable falls.
“A Code of Practice on fall prevention has existed in WA for more than 20 years. The current code is comprehensive, providing information on the identification of common fall hazards.
“I urge any person or entity in control of a workplace that presents a risk of falls to ensure safe systems of work are in place and that this code is available in the workplace at all times.”
Referenece: Worksafe WA www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe
