Fatality after Inspection Fails to Notice 19 Metre Fall Hazard

An employer has been fined $450,000 after a worker fell 19m to his death. The worker was installing formwork and supporting falsework for a concrete lift when he fell through an opening and fell onto the concrete below.

A routine safety inspection had been conducted that morning however the fall hazard remained undocumented and unrectified. The opening, a 2.1m x 0.7m hole, was designed to accommodate a ventilation shaft, which had not yet been installed.

The court found that the Safe Work Method Statement listed unguarded edges and penetrations as potential hazards however nothing was done to cover the multiple fall hazards that were present on site.

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