The financial impact of falls: warnings from WorkSafe
The construction and infrastructure industries provide exciting, rewarding work for thousands of Australians, yet there is still much to do in terms of risk management. WorkSafe Victoria, our state’s workplace health and safety regulator, is constantly monitoring workplace incidents to reduce harm to all workers. Unfortunately, they have frequent reason to report on construction and infrastructure workplace fall-related injuries, and the significant financial penalties they cost employers.
In the last five years, 41 workers have been killed and 7,395 have been seriously injured in workplace falls. Preventable falls remain among the top three causes of work-related deaths and one of the leading causes of work-related injury. Often, these incidents are due to employers taking short-cuts. Things as simple as working on a roof without fall protection, harnesses not being attached to an anchor point, or platforms without guard rails can not only cause life-changing consequences to the person injured and their family, but also to the employer.
Since the start of 2023, WorkSafe has prosecuted 17 employers for failing to take reasonable safety precautions while working at heights to the cost of $1.1 million. Worryingly, construction work puts its people at the highest risk of serious injury or death from falls. Almost half of the 41 fatal falls since the start of 2018 involved construction workers.
Failure to abide by safety guidelines have caused hefty fines for several construction employers already this year:
- In February 2023, Clark Cranes Pty Ltd was fined $400,000 after a man died and two others were injured after they failed to conduct a thorough inspection of a crane
- In March 2023, Sentenal Technologies Pty Ltd was fined $32,000 after a WorkSafe inspector saw five workers on the roof of a warehouse without harnesses or edge protection
Also related to working at heights,
- In February 2023, Malina Enterprises Pty Ltd was fined $75,000 after a worker suffered an electric shock when a mobile crane truck struck overhead lines at a construction site
- In the single year of 2022, WorkSafe accepted 142 claims related to forklift incidents, making it one of the most hazardous pieces of equipment in Victorian workplaces, and resulting in fines totalling $697,500 against companies and directors
How can these distressing incidents be addressed?
Employers can be proactive about preventing falls and injuries through strict adherence to WorkSafe guidelines. They can also ensure that their workers’ knowledge of safe work practices is up-to-date by supporting them to do quality training such as:
Working at Heights Course – risk assessment, hazard elimination, fall restraint systems, regulations and legislations, and much more
Beginner Forklift and Experienced Forklift Training – load and shift loads safely, pre- and post-operational checks, legislation for safe operation of forklifts, and much more
To browse the full range of COVE courses, which always have a strong focus on safety and compliance, visit our Courses page here or call us on 61387739000.
