Builder Fined $80,000 For Failing To Manage Fall Risks

Prosam Building Services Pty Ltd was convicted in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court for four (4) counts of failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment.

The company received a fine of $20,000 for each of three (3) charges for failing to reduce the risk of falling from heights, and an additional $20,000 for performing high-risk construction work without a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS). Additionally, the company was instructed to cover $6,211 in costs.

In June 2021, WorkSafe inspectors visited a construction site in St Kilda following reports of workers being on the second and third-storey roofs without fall protection. During the inspection workers were seen:

• near the unguarded edge of the third-storey roof, approximately 10.5 meters high, accessing the roof via a scissor lift without adequate fall prevention measures
• accessing the third-storey addition via an internal ladder without proper guardrails
• accessing the second-storey roof without edge protection.

It was deemed feasible for the company to have reduced the risk by utilising passive fall protection devices, such as guardrails, on the roofs and void edges. Additionally, Prosam Building Services failed to provide evidence of a SWMS for the high-risk construction work.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety in Victoria Narelle, emphasised the critical importance of safety when working at heights, stating that there are no excuses for neglecting such precautions. Falls from heights are a significant cause of fatalities and injuries in the construction industry, and preventive measures like guardrails can save lives.

Employers should take proactive steps to prevent falls from heights by:

• Eliminating risks where possible, such as doing all or some of the work on the ground or from a solid construction
• Using passive fall prevention devices such as scaffolds, perimeter screens, guardrails, safety mesh, etc
• Using positioning systems such as travel-restraint systems
• Using fall arrest systems such as harness, catch platform, or safety nets
• Using fixed or portable ladders or implementing administrative controls
• Having relevant SWMS associated with high-risk work.

MPAQ Safety is a simple system to assist members to cut through the complexity of managing health and safety obligations, particularly in relation to the creation of Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS). Relevant and personalised SWMS can be created in the platform in less than 5 minutes. Best of all, this comes at no additional cost for MPAQ contracting members.

For further information, please contact MPAQ on 07 3273 0800 or click below to register for MPAQ Safety.

MPAQ Safety