Released 06/06/2018
WorkSafe ACT has issued a Prohibition and two Improvement Notices this afternoon following an excavator rollover on a Civic construction site.
The notices were issued to both the owner of the plant (excavator) as well as the Principal Contractor of the site.
The incident occurred at about 11am this morning when a 15 tonne excavator was performing the task of moving a three tonne coil of stressing cable from one location to another. During this activity, the excavator tipped onto its side.
WorkSafe ACT determined that the surface area in which the plant was operating on was not sufficient, resulting in the plant sliding down a benched area landing on its side.
While no workers were injured in the incident, A/g Director of Workplace Protection Dan Curtin said this was extremely fortunate noting the circumstances of the incident. He also said it was fortunate that the operator was wearing a seat belt at the time of the incident which prevented serious injury from occurring.
“This incident could have caused very serious injuries, particularly considering the size of the plant in operation and the type of work being undertaken,” he said.
“Also of concern was that site access and egress was not to a suitable standard and it was agreed during the time of inspection that the Person Conducting the Business or Undertaking (PCBU) would cease all work activities until this was improved.”
Investigations into the incident are continuing.
Mr Curtin reminded employers and workers across the ACT to slow down and make sure safety remained the priority on sites and in workplaces.
“My message to workers on this site, and others across the city, is not to rush to complete deadlines at the expense of safety,” he concluded.
- Statement ends -
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