Sydney man fined over crane licence fraud

A 53-year-old Bondi Junction man has been fined $7000 and given a criminal record after being caught using a fraudulent licence to operate cranes on Sydney construction sites.

SafeWork NSW (formerly WorkCover NSW) said the man was prosecuted after he was found to have used the fraudulent licence on 29 separate occasions to work on construction sites in the CBD and eastern suburbs between January and June 2013.

The man alleged that he had obtained a national high risk work licence from WorkSafe Western Australia and was using a photocopy because the original had been stolen.

The fraud was detected after the photocopied licence was found to list a qualification that did not exist.

The man was found guilty last month of four charges for carrying out high risk work without holding a high risk work licence under section 43(1) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

“Cranes are a high risk piece of equipment with significant potential for injury,” said Peter Dunphy, executive director of SafeWork NSW.

“Operating one of these devices without a licence is both illegal and dangerous. The evidence showed that had the fraud not been detected, it was likely to have continued.

“This prosecution is a good example of cross-border cooperation and sends a strong message to anyone thinking of working in NSW without a valid licence that SafeWork NSW inspectors will catch you, and you will be punished to the full extent of the law.”