WorkSafe

A building company has been fined $47,500 (and ordered to pay $1519 in costs) over an incident in which a 3.88-tonne tilt-up panel fell from a building under construction onto a neighbouring car park.

Hanssen Pty. Ltd. was found guilty of failing to ensure that work was directly supervised by a person who had completed an approved course for managers and supervisors on a site where tilt-up work was being done, and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday.

WorkSafe has issued a reminder on the safe movement of vehicles on worksites after the results of a Coronial Inquest into the death of a postal worker in 2015 were released.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Darren Kavanagh said today employers needed to ensure safe systems of work were developed and implemented in workplaces where vehicles and workers were present in the same area.

“Wherever vehicles and people occupy the same workspace, strict rules need to be in place to ensure the work environment is kept as safe as possible,” Mr Kavanagh said.

WorkSafe is conducting a proactive inspection program to look at safety issues relating to tower cranes in service at WA construction sites.

The program will continue until the end of the 2019/20 financial year, and will include tower cranes on construction sites in both metropolitan and regional areas of the State.

WorkSafe Director Sally North said today an inspection program was being undertaken in this area to ensure that tower cranes were being operated safely.

A proactive inspection program looking at safety issues in WA’s child care centres has revealed a widespread lack of risk assessment and training in hazardous substances.

The program, which included both government and private childcare centres in metropolitan and regional areas of the State, was undertaken because child care was a relatively new work area and had not been closely examined for some time.

WorkSafe Director Sally North said there had been a significant growth in the number of child care centres over recent years, and safety issues needed to be reviewed.

WorkSafe is investigating the work-related death of a 63-year-old truck driver at a workplace in Wootatting (near York) yesterday.

The man was believed to have been performing repair or maintenance work on a truck in a workshop when he was caught between the wheel arch and the tyre.

Inspectors travelled to the site last night and will continue to closely examine the circumstances of the incident.

WorkSafe thoroughly investigates serious work-related injuries and deaths in WA with a view to preventing future incidents of a similar nature.

WorkSafe has initiated prosecution action against the building company that employed a labour hire backpacker who died as a result of a fall in 2016.

WorkSafe’s investigation was conducted as a result of that death, and while no charges have been laid in relation to the incident, other breaches were identified during the course of the investigation and this prosecution is the result.

Hanssen Pty. Ltd. has been charged with failing to apply mesh to holes or openings in floors, breaching Regulation 3.54(1)(b)(i).

Employers have been reminded to take steps to keep children away from hazardous workplaces during the coming school holidays.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Darren Kavanagh said today many workplaces contained hazards that could result in injury, and some even contained potentially deadly hazards.

“Workplaces such as factories and construction sites are not suitable locations for children and, sadly, many children have been seriously injured or killed in workplaces such as these over the years,” Mr Kavanagh said.

WorkSafe is investigating the work-related death of a 25-year-old worker at Condingup (east of Esperance) yesterday.

The man was believed to have been working on the roof of a shed when he and another worker fell. The other worker was injured in the fall.

Inspectors travelled to the site this morning and will interview witnesses and investigate the circumstances.

WorkSafe thoroughly investigates serious work-related injuries and deaths in WA with a view to preventing future incidents of a similar nature.

The City of Armadale has had a fine increased by $80,000 over a 2014 incident in which a member of the public was seriously injured when struck by a front-end loader at a waste disposal site.

The City was fined $30,000 (plus costs) in April 2018 over the incident after being charged with failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace.

Jobseekers wanting to work in the WA construction industry may be misled by a company offering “introductory” online safety training courses.

It is a requirement for people working on a construction site in Australia to have what is known as a “white card” which indicates they have undertaken and passed a safety induction course delivered by a registered training provider.

Consumer Protection and WorkSafe in WA are investigating a training provider that is offering an “introductory” course for a reduced fee of about one-third of the usual cost of the full course.