WorkSafe

A Perth freight transport company has been fined $40,000 (and ordered to pay $18,996.30 in costs) after the court decided it failed to provide a safe workplace for employees.

Centurion Transport Co Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment for persons engaged by its contractors, and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

In October 2017, Centurion had contracted State Haul to provide additional trucks, and drivers from State Haul were engaged as a “two-up team” on a long distance drive in North-West WA.

A construction company and plumbing contractor have been fined a total of $720,000 (and ordered to pay $35,000 in costs) over an incident in which a worker drowned in a trench when a water main burst in 2018.

Ryan and Melissa Pty Ltd (trading as Vivian Plumbing and Civil) pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing the death of an employee, and was fined $600,000 in the Perth Magistrates Court last Friday.

WorkSafe has commenced prosecution action against mining company Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) for failing to supply documents relating to 34 cases of alleged sexual harassment at their mine sites.

FMG has been charged with 34 counts of refusing or failing to comply with a requirement to provide documents to a WorkSafe inspector within a specified period without a reasonable excuse.

The documents relate to cases of alleged sexual harassment at three mining operations – Christmas Creek, Solomon and Cloudbreak.

WorkSafe is investigating the work-related death last night of a worker at BHP’s rail yard at South Hedland.

The worker was reported to have been struck by a locomotive and was confirmed as deceased at the scene.

WorkSafe investigators will examine the circumstances of the incident with a view to ensuring compliance and preventing future incidents of a similar nature. The incident is also under investigation by the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator.

WorkSafe has commenced prosecution action against a construction company over serious injuries suffered by two workers at a construction site on Rottnest Island.

Firm Construction Pty Ltd has been charged with failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment and, by that failure, causing serious harm to two employees.

A Perth bricklaying company has been fined $600,000 (and ordered to pay $5000 in costs) after a worker suffered serious injuries when a concrete staircase collapsed on him.

Swinging Bricklayers Pty Ltd was convicted in its absence of failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing serious harm to a worker and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court last week.

On April 1 2019, four Swinging Bricklayers contractors arrived at the construction site for a secondary school in Alkimos.

A Wangara sheet metal manufacturing business has been fined $300,000 (and ordered to pay more than $6400 in costs) over an incident in which a 17-year-old apprentice had seven fingers severed.

Unique Metal Works Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment, and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on Monday. It was not alleged that the company’s failures caused the apprentice’s injury.

The report on the WorkSafe Commissioner’s independent Inquiry into the Agricultural Industry has been released, with most of its recommendations supported and currently under consideration.

The Commissioner has indicated his support for the majority of the recommendations, however two have been noted as they will require further work or consultation if the State Government wishes to progress them.

WorkSafe has commenced prosecution action against a fire assay company after four workers recorded high levels of lead in their blood and one was hospitalised.

Jinning Pty Ltd faces two charges of failing to ensure that biological monitoring was conducted on an employee in a lead-risk job, along with two charges of failing to ensure that counselling and health surveillance were provided to workers in a lead-risk job.

WorkSafe and the Training Accreditation Council Western Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) allowing sharing of information about High Risk Work Licence training.

As the industry regulator, it is WorkSafe’s responsibility to ensure that licensed persons are trained to a level that enables them to conduct activities safely. The Training Accreditation Council (TAC) regulates registered training providers that deliver nationally recognised vocational training to domestic students in WA.