07:18 am, Thursday 23 September, 2010

An environmental and engineering services company has been fined by the EPA Victoria over improper drilling waste disposal in May.

The company was fined $5,000 earlier this month after receiving complaints that it left drums of drilling waste in West Footscray.

It was discovered that a contractor for the company finished drilling works and left the waste in four 200-litre drums in a publicly visible area between Buckley Street and the Geelong Road for three days.

Concerned members of the community believed the drums had been abandoned and reported the incident to EPA.

The Maribyrnong City Council had then been informed of the presence of the drums, who promptly removed and disposed of the waste.

Chris Webb, EPA’s director of environmental services, leaving the waste in public for extended periods was not how the agency expected industrial waste to be managed.

“We expect to see greater importance placed on environmental risk management and in managing the expectations of the community, who in this instance were none the wiser as to what was in the drums,” he said.

The EPA had also issued a written warning to the drilling contractor.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

01:18 pm, Monday 26 July, 2010

The suspension of construction work has been lifted at an Adelaide’s desalination plant on Friday following a site safety audit.

Work was suspended after a 35-year-old worker died at the site on July 16. The use of a soft sling lift has been blamed for the death of the worker.

The man was hit by a steel beam after the soft sling holding it snapped.

Project managers and three unions conducted a joint audit and identified around 300 safety issues that needed attention.

Unions said other issues include scaffolding, blocked pathways and rubbish build-up.

Improvements are being made on the safety issues identified. Darren Roberts from the construction union said workers appreciate that the problems are being addressed.

However, he said it is a tragedy a worker had to die for the safety concerns to be emphasised.

“It’s the most despicable aspect of our industry, it’s high risk,” he said.

Circumstances surrounding the worker’s death are still being investigated.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know