Tragic day for workplace safety in Vic

Two people have died in two separate incidents, and a third suffered life-threatening injuries, in what has been described as a dark day for workplace safety in Victoria.

A man in his 40s died when he was struck by a kibble containing wet concrete, which fell from a Raimondi boom crane at a construction site in Box Hill shortly after midday on Thursday, 6 September.

A second worker aged in his 20s received life-threatening injuries in the incident and a third received non-life-threatening injuries.

The men were allegedly working in a pit at the construction site when the incident occurred.

WorkSafe Victoria investigators, including crane experts, have visited the scene and are conducting a thorough examination of the crane and the systems of work used at the site. The investigators suspect that the failure or malfunction of the hoist rope termination assembly, also known as the wedge socket, is likely to have been a contributory factor in the incident.

WorkSafe notified Clark Cranes of its findings on Friday. The company, which both owns and sells Raimondi cranes, has issued a cease work on all its Raimondi cranes until a safety audit has been conducted.

An independent expert engaged by WorkSafe is working to verify that Clark Cranes’ audit has been conducted correctly. There are presently 65 Raimondi cranes operating in Victoria.

WorkSafe has also advised OHS regulators in other states of its findings.

WorkSafe Acting Executive Director of Health and Safety Paul Fowler said that Thursday’s tragic incident was serious enough to warrant checks on all cranes.

“The component which we believe contributed to this incident is an integral part of the hoist rope system on most cranes,” Fowler said.

“While there is no reason at this point to suggest this may be faulty on any other crane, a tragic incident such as the one which occurred on Thursday should prompt all crane owners and operators to inspect each and every crane in the state.

“It is essential that all hoist-rope termination assemblies are inspected to ensure they are appropriately installed, compliant and functioning according to manufacturer’s specifications.

“If crane operators or owners are unsure about the safety of any crane component they should seek specialist advice.”

In a separate incident earlier on the same day, a woman in her 40s died when she was run over by a prime mover loaded with an excavator at Donvale.

It is believed the woman was struck when the truck, which was parked on an incline, started to roll.

A man in his 50s also received non-life-threatening injuries in the incident.

Fowler said the day would be remembered as a dark one for Victorian workplaces.

“These are horrible tragedies for the people involved, their families, workmates and friends,” he said.

“No-one ever goes to work expecting they will not come home, and to see lives cut short — or permanently altered — in these circumstances is devastating.

“Our thoughts are also with the members of the emergency services and our WorkSafe inspectors and investigators who had to get on with their jobs in very difficult circumstances.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Fotomay