The incidence of heavy fines and work place safety incidents shows that the construction sector should improve its safety record, according to WorkSafe Victoria. The call comes after two incidents in late March that could have resulted in an injury or fatality.

 

WorkSafe’s General Manager of Operations, Lisa Sturzenegger, said two of three recent construction industry prosecutions involved scaffolding at the site of a major collapse at Prahran in 2009.

 

Keilor company, SMS Scaffolding Pty Ltd, faced the Melbourne Magistrates court on Monday and was not held responsible for the collapse of the scaffold which injured three people and caused havoc in Commercial Road in February 2009.

 

“The opportunity for industry is for all employers and workers to look closely at how safety improvements can reduce the chance of injuries so the commercial and personal risk of legal action and the associated costs are doing arise.”

 

Ms Sturzenegger said while WorkSafe would continue to work closely with the industry to ensure constructive outcomes, individual employers and workers had well-established legal responsibilities.

 

“No matter what are the pressures, dealing with hazards before a serious incident is an investment in the project, the business or the lives of your workmates or yourself.