A Melbourne-based precast concrete manufacturer has pleaded guilty to failing to maintain a safe system of work and failing to prepare a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for high-risk construction work.
WorkSafe's investigation found that concrete panels weighing nearly three tonnes each were standing vertically, without support and had been manufactured with only two lifting lugs, rather than the four required in the manufacturer's specifications. The panels were also being lifted by make-shift methods, rather than using lifting lugs that were called for in the design. WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Julie Nielsen said it was only sheer luck that the panels had not fallen on workers.
Read WorkSafe VIC's safety alert for tips to ensure workers' safety when storing concrete panels.
Keeping young workers safe and reducing potentially deadly falls at work sites is the focus of the latest Cross Border Construction Program blitz in the Albury Wodonga region.
WorkSafe Victoria and SafeWork NSW inspectors will visit construction sites on both sides of the border from March 25 to 29 to help keep them injury free.
The risks of falling objects at building sites will be the focus of WorkSafe inspectors when they visit Victorian construction sites in the coming weeks. In January there were a number of serious incidents involving falling objects, including an incident in which a tower crane dropped a concrete slab weighing about 11.5 tonnes.
Common causes for falling objects include gaps between safety screens or holes in safety netting, missing kick or toe boards on scaffolding, and debris or materials coming loose from plant while being lifted. Unsecured items stored close to edges or exposed to high winds can also cause incidents involving falling objects.
Visit the link below to view the full safety alert.
Worksafe VIC are urging employers and workers to slow down and put safety first as we enter a traditionally dangerous time of year for workplaces. Between 2008 and 2017 in Victoria, 53 people died in the months of November and December as a result of workplace incidents. This two-month period accounts for 22.3 per cent of all workplace deaths.
Construction companies operating in built-up areas are being warned not to put workers or members of the public at risk following two serious incidents where heavy machinery has struck suburban houses. Worksafe VIC have outlined precautions employers must take when operating heavy machinery.
WorkSafe VIC is urging employers in the construction industry to be aware of the serious risks when working from height following two serious incidents in 24 hours. They have suggested techniques to reduce and eliminate risks on-site.
Crane owners and operators need to check a key component following the preliminary results of a WorkSafe investigation into the cause of an incident which led to the death of a construction worker in Box Hill.
The attached letter has been sent from WorkSafe Victoria with concern regarding a critical component on Sermac manufactured truck-mounted Concrete Placing Units, and to provide relevant prevention guidance applicable to all concrete pumping units.
Design of high risk plant must be registered with WorkSafe prior to use in the workplace. Types of plant that must be registered are:
Information for employers, self employed persons and persons with management or control of a workplace about their duties to control risks associated with working in and around graves.
