Developer fined $180K over Enfield building collapse
Erector Group and its director, Mr Rong Feng Wang, have been convicted and fined almost $220,000 after a neighbouring building collapsed due to the company’s excavation works. The site, located in Enfield, Sydney, was being excavated in 2016 to develop a six-storey mixed-use apartment block with a two-level underground carpark. However, the excavations made the adjacent building unstable, leading to the collapse of the entire eastern side of the building. No-one was injured. Both the company and its director pleaded guilty to breaching the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, with the company fined $180,000 and Mr Wang fined $36,000.
“It’s easy to see how badly it could have ended if people were inside the buildings. Construction contractors really need to take the advice of their engineers and act with caution,” said Valerie Griswold, Executive Director of Investigation and Enforcement for SafeWork NSW.
In the past 12 months, SafeWork NSW has responded to 24 incidents involving partial collapses of structures on or neighbouring building sites.
“In cases where a building collapses and creates the potential for serious injury and death, the fines for breaches of the Act can be significant. While these incidents are rare, when they happen, we take them seriously,” Griswold said.
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