WorkSafe Victoria has called on Victorian employers and workers to maximise fall prevention safety after the deaths of two men in two days.
A 60-year-old Blackburn South man died in a hospital after falling from racking at a unawading business on June 3.
A 62-year-old Preston painter fell through a ceiling between the first and second storeys of a Templestowe house that was being renovated. He died in hospital several hours later.
WorkSafe Victoria’s Executive Director, John Merritt, said there had been 19 fatal falls in Victoria since the start of 2003 and more than 7500 injuries involving falls from height reported to WorkSafe over the past five financial years.
“Failing to understand your obligations and applying high standards is a short cut to disaster.
“This is a critical issue, particularly for the construction, retail, manufacturing, farming and warehousing industries.
“People can die or suffer permanent injuries from falls at relatively low heights, however, it is not uncommon to find people using dangerous ladders or not using some means of fall prevention.”
John Merritt said that while investigations of the two most recent deaths were at an early stage, past experience proved the risk of falls from height were not being adequately addressed.
WorkSafe Victoria provides education, guidance and support to employers and workers, and also prosecutes breaches of safety laws.
A director and his company were each convicted and fined as a result of failing to provide fall protection “For small or medium sized businesses prosecutions can have a significant impact,” John Merritt said.
With many businesses starting their annual stocktaking in store-rooms and warehouses, John Merritt said that it is time for the employers to ensure that safe practices are in place and the right equipment is provided.
“In all workplaces, ensuring that the right equipment is provided and that people are properly trained can make an enormous difference between life, death, permanent injury and commercial viability.
“Getting safety right, before someone is hurt is essential. Courts are often told about safety improvement measures that are made after a death or serious injury. For at least one person, that’s usually too late.”
Construction industry under the microscope
Targeting fall prevention in construction WorkSafe Victoria’s inspectors issued 37 Prohibition Notices and 26 Improvement Notices in visits to 185 Victorian building sites. Another 88 fall prevention issues were rectified while inspectors were present.
On 13 occasions, they saw situations so dangerous that they ordered to stop the work immediately.
In the 2006-2007 financial year, 13 Australian construction workers died after falling from height, four of those were in Victoria. More than 620 Australian construction workers are hospitalised each year due to falls.
A general requirement to provide and maintain a safe workplace has been in place since 1985 while construction-specific regulations for working at height have been in place for several years.
WorkSafe Victoria has produced a number of publications targeting fall prevention.