- Construction company SRG Global CASC Pty Ltd fined after worker on construction site struck by a large piece of airborne plywood.
- Court finds injury occurred due to improperly fixed cover that became airborne due to strong winds.
- Outcome confirms the importance of having Safe Work Method Statements in place to reduce risks to workers.
A construction company has been fined $135,000 (and ordered to pay $7204 in costs) after a worker was injured by a large piece of plywood that struck him after being dislodged by strong winds.
SRG Global CASC Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that other persons were not put at risk from work it carried out and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on June 25.
In September 2022, SRG was engaged in providing formwork and concrete structure services at a construction site in Quill Way, Henderson.
On the morning of the incident, three workers employed by Anwest Constructions (WA) Pty Ltd, a company engaged in the installation of ceilings and partitions, were walking onto the worksite to begin work.
As they were walking to the building, they exited a covered walkway and one of the workers was struck in the abdomen by an airborne piece of plywood weighing around 27kg that had been blown from the second floor by strong winds.
Workers from SRG had covered a penetration measuring approximately 1.7m by 7.6m in the concrete floor that allowed for ductwork with large pieces of plywood. The plywood that came loose was affixed by at least six large nails.
The safe work method statement (SWMS) relevant to the work being done by SRG stated that covers for penetrations must be mechanically fixed by bolts or screws, and nail fixing was not permitted.
WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said the case was a reminder of the importance of having SWMS in place and ensuring they are always complied with.
“The SWMS covering this site required that covers over penetrations, risers and shafts be mechanically fixed – that is to say, screwed or bolted but not nailed,” Ms North said.
“It was reasonably practicable and not expensive for the covers to have been screwed or bolted, and SRG’s failure to do so was a breach of its duty of care.
“It’s common knowledge in the construction industry that strong winds can move materials around a site if they are not adequately secured, as is evidenced by this avoidable incident.”