What part of not having fall protection doesn’t sound dangerous?

08 November 2011

The absence of fall protection on a domestic housing site is a feature of a new WorkSafe enforcement campaign showing workers on a house without fall protection.

“WorkSafe is telling the construction industry to get on top of safety issues before an inspector arrives on site or there’s an incident,” the acting Director of WorkSafe’s Construction and Utilities Division, Allan Beacom, said.    

“Unfortunately we frequently find fall protection missing on construction sites although it has been required for many years,” Mr Beacom said.

“Even as recently as Friday in a scene virtually taken from the campaign an inspector found several people working on a roof without fall protection at a town near Geelong.

“It’s not good enough to wait until a WorkSafe inspector turns up before safety measures are put in place.

“Prosecution, whether or not someone is hurt, is a real risk if fall protection isn’t used or people are engaged in inappropriate practices when working at height,” he said.

WorkSafe recently prosecuted a company and individual after inspectors saw people working at height in Melbourne and Geelong.

Jaydee Steel Construction Company Pty Ltd was fined $10,000 fine after an inspector found a worker at a North Melbourne apartment development eight metres above the ground without fall protection in December 2009.

He’d climbed from a scissor lift and was standing on a steel beam as he attached structural steel to tilt-up panels.

The company pleaded guilty to one charge laid a section of the Occupational Health and Safety Act which requires employers to provide safe systems of work

WorkSafe told the court Jaydee Steel had not done a hazard identification or risk assessment in relation to the system of work used to install structural steel.

It also failed to implement a control to reduce or eliminate the risk of injury or death as a result of fall.

At Geelong, Paul Anthony Friend, who operates ‘Latrobe Roofing and Spouting Services’ was prosecuted for the fourth time and received a conviction and $18,321 fine for not providing fall protection to contractors working for him.

Mr Friend told a WorkSafe inspector that fall protection was “at home” while two sub-contractors installed a roof and gutters on a house at Manifold Heights, in December last year.

He was also placed on a 12-month community based order requiring him to attend an occupational health and safety course which Magistrate McGarvie hoped might "change the way he thinks.

Guard rails were later installed around the roof and work resumed. Electrical safety issues were also found including untested and untagged tools and worn power cords.

Mr Beacom said not taking the right safety steps put workers at risk and undermined employers who did.

“Many of the complaints received by WorkSafe are from other businesses which are doing the right thing, other workers and their loved ones.

“Site safety is the responsibility for employers and the people working there. Getting on top of issues before a WorkSafe inspector arrives, or worse, means our visit will be relatively quick and not inconvenience people.

“If you don’t get it right, the level of inconvenience for the business, lost time and ultimately profitability will be hit hard.” 

“Learning from your own mistakes and those of others will save lives – not doing so puts lives and businesses at risk, Mr Beacom said.

Need help?:  Call WorkSafe’s advisory service on 1800136 089 or go online to www.worksfe.vic.gov.au/construction - WorkSafe Code of Practice – Prevention of Falls in Housing Construction.