Warning about safety as fatality count climbs

WorkSafe Victoria is calling on all employers to make safety their absolute priority following the deaths of five workers across the state in a horrifying nine-day period.

In the space of just a few hours on 12 November, WorkSafe reported that a 25-year-old electrician was electrocuted during maintenance work on an air conditioner at a Braeside factory, while a 29-year-old worker was killed in Keysborough when a piece of equipment fell off a forklift and crushed him.

Earlier in the week, a 64-year-old contractor died in an explosion at a housing development site in Melbourne’s outer east, while a 76-year-old farmer was crushed by his tractor in South Gippsland.

Another farm worker, also aged 76, was reportedly electrocuted during maintenance on a pump at a farm near Geelong on 4 November.

According to WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Marnie Williams, statistics show that November and December mark the most dangerous time of year for Victorian workers.

“Our figures show that since 2005, almost 25% of all workplace fatalities have occurred in the final two months of the year,” said Williams.

“So we are asking every employer to stop and make absolutely sure they have the systems in place to protect their employees.”

Williams said every Victorian worker deserved to get home safely at the end of the day.

“In just nine days, five families have suffered a devastating loss and we don’t want anyone else to have to suffer the same pain. So we are calling on employers and workers to be extra vigilant in the lead-up to Christmas.”

Deadline pressures to finish projects, as well as harvesting and preparing for bushfire season, are considered some of the possible reasons why November–December is such a dangerous time of year for workers.

But Williams said while the build-up to Christmas is a busy period for every workplace, it should never be a dangerous one.

“Every workplace fatality is preventable,” she said.

“If employers have the correct systems in place to protect their workers, if people stop to plan each day with safety in mind, and if everyone works together to identify and reduce risks, we can make November and December a time of joy as everyone heads towards a well-deserved Christmas break — not a time of heartbreak.”

For more information on how to make your workplace safe, visit www.worksafe.vic.gov.au. 

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