12:32 pm, Monday 8 July, 2013

A company director and two companies have been fined due to a worker’s serious fall injuries in Western Sydney.

The companies and a company director were fined a total of $147,000 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs after a worker fell at a residential building worksite.

In December 2009, the 22-year-old electrician was working inside a townhouse when he fell through an opening on the first floor. He suffered severe head injuries including multiple brain haemorrhages, a fractured left collarbone and several spinal fractures.

A WorkCover investigation found that the open stairwell opening at the townhouse had no fall protection.

The companies and the director all pleaded guilty.

WorkCover NSW’s acting General Manager of Work Health and Safety Division, Peter Dunphy, said any fall through the stairwell opening was likely to be serious and the risk should have been better managed.

“There was a clear lack of safety in this instance. Had there been adequate safety measures in place to stop someone from accidentally falling through this opening, these serious injuries would probably never have happened.

“It’s even more serious that these safety measures are very simple. There was no fall protection, that is, there was no handrail, void platform or other kind of barrier. This is an important reminder of the need to maintain proper safety protocols.

“These companies did not do this and as a consequence a young man has been very seriously injured,” said Mr Dunphy.

The companies will work with WorkCover to avoid the same mistakes from happening again.

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12:12 am, Wednesday 20 March, 2013

A carpenter has been fined $4000 for failing to provide fall protection equipment and edge protection while working on a roof of a shed.

The carpenter pleaded guilty to failing to provide fall protection and edge protection and was fined in the Esperance Magistrates Court last week.

He was working with an apprentice carpenter and was responsible for the apprentice and controlled the task he was performing.

In May 2011, they were working on the roof of the shed and were performing several tasks including installing ridge capping and roof sheets, as well as screwing the roof sheets into place. The tasks required them to move over all areas of the roof.

Both of them did not use any type of fall injury prevention system while working. There were no harnesses or edge protection available during that time.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said the case was an example of neglecting to provide proper protection for workers.

“Falls are significant cause of workplace death, and 16 Western Australian workers have died as a result of falls in the last four years,” said Mr McCulloch.

“Falls are almost always readily preventable and it need not be difficult or costly to ensure that safe systems of work are in place at all times.

“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 and including the appropriate selection and use of ladders.

“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,” he said.

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12:59 pm, Thursday 17 May, 2012

The United Firefighters Union has filed a complaint to WorkSafe ACT claiming that firies’ lives were put to risk when working on roofs.

Canberra Times reports that firefighters have been forced to work from roofs during major storms without proper protection gear. David Livingstone, the union’s ACT branch secretary said that this issue has been raised repeatedly with ACT Fire and Rescue, but not much action had been done.

“It’s an issue we’ve raised with the brigade has had the equipment and the training materials for some years, I don’t know how long, they just haven’t implemented them.”

He also believed that money and time constraints were the main reasons why the fall protection measures were not implemented.

A spokesman from the Emergency Services Agency denied the union’s allegation saying that all recruits received training to safely work at roofs, and that firefighters were subject to proficiency tests when going for promotion.

The spokesman also added that ACT Fire and Rescue has 38 firefighters, 11 station officers and 2 commanders who are all competent to work on roofs and conduct vertical rescue on shift at any one time.

“Every fire truck carries sufficient ropes, harnesses and associated rescue and safety equipment for that crew to work on a roof,” said the spokesman.

“Additional and more specialist equipment is available on the dedicated vertical rescue vehicle at Kambah.”

He also said that new fall protection gears have been purchased and will be given to the firefighters following training.

Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe confirmed receiving the complaint on Friday. He said that they are still in the preliminary stages of investigating.

“We now need to go and look at the other side of the coin from the employer, and work out what we’re going to do,” said Mr McCabe.

“It’s a pretty important issue, but all we’ve got is that allegation at the moment.”

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