Springvale Builder Fined For Ignoring WorkSafe Warnings

A construction company director who continued to expose workers to obvious safety risks, despite two prohibition notices issued by WorkSafe requiring work to stop immediately because of immediate danger to workers, has been convicted and fined.

The Sunshine Magistrates’ Court found that that the Springvale company failed to comply with five legal notices issued by WorkSafe at their Port Melbourne construction site in 2008.

Despite WorkSafe’s warnings and advice, none of the notices were complied with. When inspectors later visited a second construction site operated by the company in Elwood, they identified similar breaches – resulting in more notices being issued.

As a result, the company was convicted and fined $96,500. The director of the company pleaded guilty and was convicted and fined $17,000.

WorkSafe’s Acting Executive Director for Health and Safety Stan Krpan said that companies should never wait for a second warning from WorkSafe, because you are exposing your workers to risk in the meantime.

“This is a situation where a director had every opportunity to meet WorkSafe’s recommendations – the inspector explained the content, and the need for a follow-up visit,” said Mr Krpan.

“Of even more concern is that similar breaches were later identified on a second work site operated by the same company – when the director clearly knew workers were at risk,” he said.

The two prohibition notices related to fall protection and electrocution risks Mr Krpan said.

“The temporary electrical switchboard exposed workers to risks of an electric shock or electrocution – it had no lockable door, no residual current devices, and leads which hadn’t been tagged and tested.

“Workers on the Port Melbourne site were also found to be working without adequate fall protection. This is an issue that WorkSafe takes very seriously – last week alone, there were two significant falls from height in Victorian workplaces, one which resulted in a fatality,” Mr Krpan said.

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