Official investigation findings of Galleria Morley building site accident debunk union claims

17/8/94

The findings of an official investigation into an accident last month in which two workers were seriously injured at a Morley building site have completely debunked union claims over poor safety monitoring.

Labour Relations Minister Graham Kierath said the accident had nothing to do with lack of inspectors or inspections.

Construction industry unions recently claimed there had been a drop in safety standards.

They blamed an accident at the Galleria Morley site, which left two men seriously injured, on poor safety monitoring by the Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare (DOHSWA).

Mr Kierath said today that he had received a formal report after a DOHSWA investigation into the incident in which two men were thrown from an elevating work platform when it toppled over.

"The incident in question was more the result of inadequate systems of work and the way in which machinery was being used rather than any shortfall in the Government's inspection," he said.

"The report concludes that the most likely cause of the accident was that one wheel of the scissor-lift platform was positioned over an electrical service junction, and that wheel sank into a styrene section of the junction.

"This, of course, caused the machine to fall over and the two men to fall 5.8 metres to a concrete floor.

"The actual machine had been inspected by a DOHSWA inspector exactly a week before this incident, and although an improvement notice was issued, the machine was pronounced safe to operate.

"There was nothing to suggest any malfunction in the machine, and the accident could only be attributed to the wheel being in the recess.

"The report clearly shows that the recent assertions by the construction industry unions are totally unfounded."

Latest statistics have shown the number of safety inspections conducted on construction sites actually increased - not decreased - during 1993-94, as claimed by Builders Labourers' Federation Secretary Kevin Reynolds.

The Government had set itself an objective of achieving a 50 per cent reduction in fatalities associated with falls from heights, electricity and tractors and a 10 per cent cut in lost time injuries by June 1997.

Mr Kierath reiterated his Government's commitment to occupational health and safety, and warned that building unions should stop trying to undermine that commitment, and get on with the job.

"We do not mind unions drawing attention to genuine safety concerns, but protesting about safety issues which do not really exist is just a waste of everyone's time," he said.

Media contact:  Brian Coulter 222 9595 or 481 2133