Published: 18 September 2024
Misz Pty Ltd, trading as Steel and Precast Erectors, was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court today after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to ensure a workplace under its management or control was safe and without risks to health.
The crane company was contracted to undertake lifting of pre-fabricated steel roof structures as part of extensions to a Dandenong South factory in June 2019.
During the lift, in worsening weather conditions, the crane tilted to the right before the boom struck the roof and the load fell onto the building.
Two riggers working from an elevated work platform nearby escaped uninjured, along with the crane operator.
WorkSafe's investigation found a bulldog clip had been attached to the override switch on the crane's safety system, allowing it to be operated outside its prescribed parameters without the operator being alerted.
The court found it was reasonably practicable for the company to ensure the safety system was operational, which would have alerted the operator if the load was outside safety limits and enabled measures to be taken such as reducing the weight of the load; moving the crane closer to the building; using a larger crane; or waiting for the weather conditions to change.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said there could be no excuses for the company's cavalier approach.
"It is never acceptable to take shortcuts on safety, particularly when heavy machinery is involved and the consequences when something goes wrong can be absolutely catastrophic," Mr Jenkin said.
"Built-in safety mechanisms serve a very real purpose and it is simply unacceptable for any duty holder to treat them as an optional extra that can be switched off for the sake of short-term convenience."
When using cranes, measures to manage the risks include:
- Selecting the proper crane and lifting equipment for the task, size and weight of the load.
Ensuring cranes are maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications and requirements, and operated within their design parameters. - Checking that crane operators and persons connecting loads have the skills, training and licences to operate safely.
- Creating and adhering to safe systems of work and ensuring all workers are properly trained and competent before commencing the task.
- Considering environmental factors such as weather, ground bearing capacity, overhead and underground services such as power lines and pipes/drains, and ensuring non-essential persons are excluded from the area of operation.
- For construction work, ensuring a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is created and adhered to.