A construction company has been fined $350,000 (and ordered to pay more than $6600 in costs) over the death of a 19-year-old worker in 2021.
M Construction (WA) Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on November 21.
In November 2021, an employee of PAWS Construction and Maintenance Pty Ltd died after suffering a traumatic head injury when he was struck by a sea container drawbridge ramp weighing around 250kg. At the time he was assisting his supervisor to lower the ramp.
M Construction had engaged PAWS Construction to complete the works, including the lowering of the sea container ramp. PAWS Construction was also prosecuted over the incident and was fined $250,000 in August.
The ramp to be lowered was held in place by two pins. The first pin was removed, and before removing the second pin, the supervisor instructed the worker to stand to the left of the ramp out of the drop zone.
When the second pin was removed the ramp fell quickly to the ground, striking the worker who suffered fatal injuries.
The workers had not been provided with a safe work procedure or instructions for the raising or lowering of the ramp.
A winch was installed to assist with the raising and lowering of the ramp, but it was not maintained and was not operational at the time of the incident.
WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said the incident was a sad reminder of the need to have safe work procedures in place for all hazardous tasks in a workplace.
“There were no written procedures or clear instructions for carrying out the task, even though it should have been recognised as hazardous,” Ms North said.
“Struck-by incidents involving falling objects remain a significant cause of serious injuries and fatalities in construction and other industries. I urge workplace leaders to engage with their teams and reassess the measures they have in place to prevent objects from falling.”
“When identifying potential falling object hazards, it’s important to look beyond moving loads and consider heavy items that are installed or stored in ways that could pose a risk if something fails.”
“Examples include stored stone slabs or glass sheets, large gates, roller doors and their motors, ramps that need to be raised and lowered, and similar heavy components.”
“Following this incident, the ramp was permanently removed from the sea container, eliminating the need to raise or lower it, however this change came too late to prevent the tragic death of a 19-year-old worker who had only been employed by the company for three weeks.”