Safety risks identified in campaign

WorkSafe Victoria inspectors issued six Prohibition Notices during a week-long ‘Safer Work Zones’ campaign in Cranbourne, late April, ordering work to stop because of serious and immediate risks to workers’ safety. The campaign aimed to help small businesses improve health and safety and Return to Work programs. Inspectors visited 147 workplaces where, in addition to the Prohibition Notices, 71 Improvement Notices were also issued, ordering specific safety issues to be corrected, along with 21 safety issues that were fixed on-the-spot while inspectors were present. These included the removal of tripping hazards, incorrectly stored LPG cylinders and basic forklift maintenance.

WorkSafe is concerned that, despite advising workplaces that inspectors would be in the area, serious safety issues were still identified, with the following Prohibition Notices issued:

• Two at separate construction sites when workers were at immediate risk of falling 6 m from roofs,
• One at a site where workers were at risk of falling 7 m into an excavation;
• Two at a hairdressing salon where unsafe electrical equipment put workers at immediate risk of electric shock; and
• One at an automotive repairer to stop the spraying of iso-cyanate paints without appropriate respiratory equipment. Iso-cyanates can cause immediate health problems including lung damage, eye irritation and asthma. Recurrent overexposure can lead to liver and kidney damage and blood disorders.

WorkSafe’s Executive Director John Merritt said: “While it’s good that issues were fixed on the spot and that more will be fixed because of WorkSafe’s notices, we are concerned that businesses may have otherwise let these safety issues remain in their workplace.

“We’re particularly concerned about the high number of Prohibition Notices. These are the most serious notices and are only issued where there is an immediate risk to life. The dangers of working at height, with faulty electrics or chemicals are well known. It’s very disappointing. We don’t want commitments to fix something after someone has been hurt or died. It’s too late then.”

WorkSafe is also concerned that 34 breaches to the Accident Compensation Act were identified. In some cases, employers hadn’t kept registers of injuries or displayed information about what people should do if they were hurt.