A Victorian construction worker has been left with permanent injuries after a concreting mix-up resulted in his hand being amputated.
The concreter was cleaning residue from a concrete pump mixer while working in Melbourne’s inner north when his hand was caught in the pump’s hopper.
The mixer’s safety guarding had been removed for cleaning, and no interlocks were in place to prevent the machine from starting unexpectedly, resulting in the worker’s hand being severed beyond repair.
Despite the concreting catastrophe occurring more than two years ago, the results of WorkSafe Victoria’s investigation have only just settled – with the company involved forced to make $560,000 worth of safety upgrades.
Aqua Metro Services Pty Ltd, one of Australia’s largest water network construction firms, received an Enforceable Undertaking to splash out on safety improvements after initially being charged with failing to protect non-employees from health and safety risks on site.
WorkSafe alleged it was reasonably practicable for Aqua Metro Services to control entanglement risks through the installation of an interlocked guard, the use of a high-pressure hose to remove residue or, if the guarding had to be removed for cleaning, using a lock-out, tag-out procedure.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said inadequately guarded machinery put workers at significant risk.
“Unfortunately, when machinery is not properly guarded, it’s often a matter of when, not if, a serious and potentially life-changing incident will occur,” Mr Jenkin said.
As part of the required safety overhaul, Aqua Metro will splash out on $561,400 of changes to improve safety both within the company and across the wider industry, including the development of virtual reality training scenarios based on the incident, in partnership with Master Builders Victoria.
The training will focus on guarding safety and be offered to employees and external labour-hire companies. It will also feature improved safety information on plant equipment, safety qualifications scholarships, and apprenticeship opportunities.
Aqua Metro also committed to donating any leftover funds to the Australian Institute of Health and Safety to support further safety improvements across the industry.
Despite the incident’s tragic conclusion, Mr Jenkins said the results of the WorkSafe investigation would lay the foundations for significant safety improvements across the sector.
“The only upside to this terrible incident is that significant safety improvements will now be made within this company and the wider industry, including better support for students and vulnerable workers,” he said.
