Company fined for collapsing home on owners

A Melbourne re-stumping business, Brother Nguyen, has been fined $15,000 by the County Court for breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The fine was for an incident in 2005 which led to the collapse of a Mitcham house.

The court heard that the company had been subcontracted by another company, Master Reblockers, to perform work on the home in early 2005.

Over three days the house was raised and supported with hydraulic jacks, stump holes dug, old stumps removed and new concrete stumps suspended to bearers above the stump holes.

On 27 May 2005 the house, supported only by hydraulic jacks, was in the final stage of being levelled when the house collapsed to the ground.

Three persons, including the two home owners, were inside at this time. Although not physically injured, the home owners were traumatised by the collapsing of their home.

The house suffered severe structural damage and needed to be demolished.

Master Reblockers, the original contractor, had previously pleaded guilty to two charges in relation to its breaches of the Act and was convicted and fined $45,000.

WorkSafe executive director John Merritt said that the case was significant because a conviction was found even though no injuries had been sustained.

“We will not hesitate to pursue those employers that are in flagrant breach of health and safety even if there are no ambulances,” Merritt said.

“There have been two deaths in this industry in the last two years and it is vital that there are systems in place by re-stumpers to ensure that there are back-up safety systems.”