A national contractor failed to maintain a safe employment environment, killing a team member on the job.
Hansen Yuncken recently entered into an enforceable undertaking after two large steel pipes fatally struck one of its employees.
The worker allegedly attempted to help unload the fire sprinkler conduits from a B-double trailer, when the heavy metal objects fell and crushed him to death on 16 September 2019.
WorkSafe examined the incident at an undisclosed site and found Hansen had contravened sections 19(1), 20(2) and 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act.
Investigators welcomed the enforceable undertaking worth more than $1.7 million and did not find the employer had committed a section 31 reckless conduct category one offence.
Hansen will implement the following measures:
- holding a roadshow of education and awareness events on lessons learnt
- help complete two PhD research studies into site management, health and safety leadership and assurance
- help a post-doctoral fellow in supporting the objectives of the Centre for Construction Safety and Wellbeing
- publish a journal article on best practice approaches to supporting families in the event of workplace incidents
- establish a new Centre for Construction Safety and Wellbeing through an industry partnership with the University of Newcastle
- fund videography production and live stream services for the International Day of Mourning memorial service events for three years
- appoint an enforceable undertaking digital initiatives project manager and a dedicated enforceable undertaking project coordinator
- develop a worker insight facilitation simulated coaching experience in a virtual environment to train site supervisors on how to facilitate a worker insight
- develop a technology-enabled application for worker insights that harnesses artificial intelligence to capture worker insights, enable trend analysis and identify industry-wide hazards at scale
- develop health and safety learning animations on transport, traffic management, cranes, lifting, underground and overhead services, mobile plant, working at height and electrical supply and equipment.
