09:17 pm, Monday 2 December, 2013

A company manufacturing plasterboard products was fined $40,000 and more than $1800 in costs over a worker’s serious injury.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe work environment causing serious harm to an employee. They were fined in the Midland Magistrates Court on Monday.

The incident happened in June 2010 when a machinery operator was operating a complex of machines which included a component known as a perforator when he noticed that two plasterboard sheets were stationary, one on the top of the other, on the perforator feed conveyor and neither was going into the perforator.

Earlier, he had lifted a guard to clear jammed sheets from the perforator roller and the guard was left sitting at an angle, creating a larger than usual aperture from the infeed. The lower board went into the perforator, knocking his right arm and drawing it into the blades of the perforator through the gap in the guard. It didn’t stop rotating, drawing his arm further into the machine.

Another worker heard the injured worker’s cry for help and stopped the machine. Co-workers were unable to free the man from the machine but paramedics and emergency crew freed him after around 40 minutes.

He suffered serious injuries to his arm and was required several surgeries and extensive medical treatment.

WorkSafe Director Joe Attard, said today that the case stressed the importance of having safe work procedures in place at all times.

“The incident that led to this court case is a stark reminder of the need for effective guarding, safe systems of work and ongoing training of workers,” said Mr Attard.

“This severe injury would not have been possible if the guarding on this machine had been fixed in place at the minimum aperture required for sheets of plasterboard to pass through.

“Guarding of the dangerous moving parts of machinery is such a basic and easy precaution to take, and it really is time for employers to take a good hard look at the guarding situation and stop exposing employees to the risk of injury or death.

“In addition, the risk of the perforator jamming had arisen due to a recent change in the way the perforator was used. Any change in systems of work should be accompanied by a thorough risk assessment, a crucial requirement in a workplace with machinery of this nature.

“It is apparent that this employer failed to carry out that assessment adequately.

“Additional safety components were added to the machinery after this incident, but too late for the worker who was left with serious arm injuries.”

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10:32 pm, Monday 4 November, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

In celebration of Australia’s first Asbestos Awareness Month this November, WorkSafe WA issued a reminder on the hazards of asbestos to workers and the community.

“Unfortunately we have the sad legacy of Wittenoom to remind us of the potential hazards of asbestos, but this has served to give us a strong commitment to the future safety and health of all Western Australians,” said WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch.

“Strict licensing requirements in WA ensure that only workers with the proper skills and knowledge can remove asbestos, but we would also like to remind home renovators and home owners doing DIY repairs or maintenance that precautions need to be taken.

“Asbestos products were used in almost every brick, weatherboard, fibro or clad home built or renovated before 1987, so unless your home was built after 1987, the wisest course of action is to assume that asbestos is present and take precautions.

“There is still a large amount of asbestos in WA and we need to ensure that anyone who may come in contact with it is aware of the potential for serious health effects.”

The Asbestos Awareness Month campaign aims to educate all Australians on the dangers of asbestos as well as encourage people to seek information on how to they can identify asbestos and manage it.

A recent survey found that asbestos exposure was common during home renovations. Sixty percent of DIY renovators have reported exposure. The motto for the month is “Don’t play renovation roulette!”.

Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos-related diseases in the world.

“A National Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of Asbestos has been in existence for many years, so there has long been a requirement for working safely with asbestos,” said Mr McCulloch.

“Asbestos products do not pose a risk to health if they are left undistributed in buildings, but there is a serious risk of exposure to fibres if asbestos-containing materials are disturbed or removed unless basic safety precautions are followed.

“It is vitally important that people who actually work with asbestos and people who undertake DIY renovations, maintenance or repairs take every possible precaution when asbestos is or may be present.”

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05:55 pm, Friday 1 November, 2013

Commerce Minister Michael Mischin has today launched a new and updated version of workplace safety and health resource WorkSafe SmartMove.

SmartMove provides free work safety resources to senior high school students and young workers who are about to enter the workforce on work placements, work experience or as school-based apprentices or trainees.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch highlighted the importance of educating young workers on work health and safety.

“The more education we can give our young people on workplace safety and health the better, especially when they’re going into real workplaces for the first time,” Mr McCulloch said.

“The updated SmartMove package includes instructions for teachers, and can be completed online by whole classes or individually as homework, or it can be downloaded and printed off for students.

“Students who register on the website read the material provided then complete a quiz to receive a certificate.

“The new initiative for students is the SmartMove Safety Passport, a pocket-sized folder students can fill with cards displaying the units they have completed.

“They can then present this Passport to prospective host employers as proof that they have a good grounding in workplace safety and health.

“Already the schools that use SmartMove will not allow students to go into workplaces until they have completed the program.  In addition, there are retail outlets that require a SmartMove certificate before they allow students to work in their stores.

“The new package also incorporates text-to-speech technology for students with special needs, and a module specifically designed for students with learning difficulties.”

SmartMove has been providing resources to students across Australia for 20 years now, and is also being used overseas.

To access SmartMove, visit the WorkSafe WA website.

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10:03 pm, Thursday 17 October, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

A construction company was fined $65,000 over a workplace fatality near Esperance.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the workplace was safe for a person who was not an employee, and because of that failure, a worker died. They were fined in the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

According to investigations, the company began constructing a steel shed at Wye Farm in Salmon Gums in March 2011. Steel frame of the shed was erected in May and the wall cladding and roof sheeting was installed. Five workers were tasked to do the job.

On May 31, the roof sheets and skylights were put into place and tacked down with small screws to temporarily hold them. Workers proceeded to permanently fix the sheets in place after lunch.

One of the workers had to cross the roof to retrieve the screws for the polycarbonate skylights from the other side of the roof. He stepped from a zincalume sheet over the ridge and onto a polycarbonate sheet but the sheet gave way and he fell around seven metres to the ground and died.

The court heard that there was no safety mesh installed under the roof, despite the requirement on the plans to do so. There was also no edge protection installed. No harnesses were also available.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch expressed his dismay over the incident.

“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.”

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12:31 am, Thursday 17 October, 2013

WorkSafe WA is looking closely at sleeper cabs in trucks involved in long distance trips after a truck driver died early this year. Inspectors who investigated the incident were alerted to problems with sleeper cabs and were prompted to investigate into this issue further.

There were 16 Prohibition Notices issued to a transport company. Inspectors are now looking into other companies.

WorkSafe Director Joe Attard highlighted the importance of sufficient rest for long distance commercial vehicle drivers.

“Transport companies that offer what is known as “hot shot” services to carry urgent freight keep their vehicles moving around the clock by using two drivers with one resting while the other drives,” said Mr Attard.

“If a driver is sleeping while the truck is on the move, the driver must be both comfortable and securely restrained, as per the relevant Australian Design Rule.

“Inspectors have found instances of trucks without sleeper cabs where the second driver is resting or sleeping on the vehicle’s parcel shelf or sleeping in a swag on the tilt tray of the vehicle, which is far from a satisfactory arrangement.

“Even when there is a single driver resting while the truck is stationary, it is important that the sleeping berth complies with design rules so the driver is properly rested and does not have consequent issues with fatigue.

“The trucks on which inspectors are concentrating are rigid trucks, not prime movers which usually have a sleeper cab behind the driver’s cabin.

“Inspectors from the Transport team will be concentrating on this issue whenever they attend transport companies to ensure that all vehicles used for long distance runs have the correct sleeping arrangements for drivers.”

More information about fatigue management is available on the WorkSafe WA website.

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12:33 am, Saturday 21 September, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

A roofing company including its Director have been fined $100,000 and more than $2200 in costs over an incident in which a worker suffered serious injuries after falling from a roof.

The roofing company and its Director pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe work environment and because of that failure, causing serious injuries to a contractor. They were fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday.

In August 2010, the company was engaged to replace the roofing of a commercial building in Osborne Park which was damaged in the March hailstorms. However, they engaged another company to perform the job and a crane hire company to provide a crane to land the new roofing and lift down the removed roofing.

The following month, work on the roofing commenced with two workers – a crane operator and a 19-year-old dogger arriving on the site to begin the task of removing packs of asbestos sheeting and landing the packs of new metal sheets.

The dogger met an accident when he stepped onto the end of one of the polycarbonate sheets while trying to remove slings from a pack of metal sheets. He fell to the cement floor approximately 3.3 metres below and suffered head and neck injuries.

At the time of the incident, safety mesh was installed below the roof building to prevent falls, but it did not continue through the frontage area, although it was planned to install it there after asbestos had been removed.

The court found the company, as the head contractor, failed to require or confirm that adequate system of work was in place to address the risk of a person falling through the skylights.

In addition, the company also failed to ensure that the crane hire company was aware of the distance, height and state of the skylights and the consequent risk of falling through them.

They also failed to ensure that people required to work on the frontage roof had been trained sufficiently or informed of the risks, or was adequately supervised while conducting work.

The Director failed to ensure that the company took any of these measures despite knowing the existence and state of the skylights, the risk and that the crane hire company would provide a dogger who will be working on the roof.

Acting WorkSafe Executive Director Ian Munns said this was a reminder of the importance of fall prevention in workplaces.

“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,” Mr Munns said.

“Many others have been seriously and permanently injured as a result of falls, and it’s really disappointing when we keep finding people working at heights without all the possible preventative measures in place.”

“This incident has resulted in the prosecution of six entities, all of whom had a part to play in the safety of the workers at the site, whether they were actually in direct control of the workplace or not”

He said the incident should serve as a reminder of the importance of ensuring work safety.

“The court cases that have resulted from this incident should serve as reminders that the responsibility for ensuring that workplaces are safe is not confined to those actually contracted to perform the work, but also to those who supervise it.

“The day after this incident occurred, safety mesh was installed in the frontage area and the polycarbonate sheets were replaced – all too late for the young man involved in this incident, who really was lucky to escape with his life.

“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.

“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.”

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08:58 pm, Monday 9 September, 2013

A worker died in Bayswater Western Australia when he was crushed by the collapse of a ceiling at his workplace.

Emergency crews were called to a waste management business at about 4.30 this afternoon but the worker in his 30’s died at the scene.

Police and WorkSafe WA will be investigating the incident.

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10:53 pm, Friday 30 August, 2013

WorkSafe Western Australia has produced a poster that can be displayed in workplaces to raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss as a part of Hearing Awareness Week 2013.

The poster is an initiative of Commission for Occupational Safety and Health and can be downloaded free from the WorkSafe website.

Ian Munns, the WorkSafe Acting Executive Director, said that the poster aims to encourage both managers and workers to do what they can to protect the hearing of everybody in the workplace.

The poster is a reminder that noise-induced hearing loss is preventable and provides solutions for how this can be done.

He said that workplace noise is a major cause of hearing loss that can neither be reversed nor cured.

Download the poster from WorkSafe here.

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01:10 pm, Wednesday 7 August, 2013

Workers were seriously injured yesterday when “fluke” weather hit a construction site in North Coogee yesterday about 2pm.

A spokesperson for WorkSafe WA said that a part of a multistorey structure was blown down and workers received broken bones and fractures.

Originally it was thought that a mini-tornado had caused the damage however the Bureau of Meteorology says that it may have been a water spout that reached land as the construction site is near the ocean.

A spokesperson for St Johns Ambulance said that 10 workers were hurt and 6 needed to be transported to hospital, two of these with suspected head and spinal injuries while the others had minor injuries.

According to eyewitnesses the scaffolding was “smashed from the building site.”

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01:27 pm, Tuesday 6 August, 2013

An inspection program in Western Australia is being conducted to look at safety standards in automotive repair workplaces.

This program will be implemented throughout the 2013-14 financial year, and will focus on workplaces that carry out automotive body, paint and interior repairs.

WorkSafe Director Joe Attard said the automotive repair sector is being targeted because of its high rate of work-related injury.

“Workers in the automotive repair industry suffer a relatively high rate of injuries from being hit by objects, manual handling tasks and slips, trips and falls,” said Mr Attard.

‘There is also potential for them to be exposed to hazardous substances in the course of their work, especially workers carrying out spray painting activities.

“Hence, the inspectors will be looking closely at awareness of hazard identification and at whether risk assessments are being carried out for manual handling tasks.”

Safety inspectors will look into priority areas of hazardous substances, electricity, manual tasks training of new and young workers, machinery guarding and slips, trips and falls.

Issues specific to the industry will also be a focus such as spray booth safety, personal protective equipment, emergency procedures, mobile plant, health surveillance and pressure vessels.

“WorkSafe has an extensive schedule of proactive inspection programs concentrating on particular industries or activities or specific geographical areas aimed at providing employers with information on how to make workplaces safer,” said Mr Attard.

“The Transport Team will inspect workplaces in metropolitan and regional areas over the financial year with a view to raising awareness and providing information.

“A letter and a copy of the checklist have been sentt to employers in the industry, so they should be aware of what will be expected when an inspector visits.

“We firmly believe that raising awareness with proactive programs is the best way in which to lessen the risk of work-related injury and illness, but inspectors will take enforcement action during the program if necessary.”

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