Lack of training incurs $26,000 fine

The collapse of a crane at a Pt Augusta railyard has resulted in a lucky escape for the driver and a $26,000 fine for the employer in the SA Industrial Relations Court recently.

Metalcorp Recyclers, trading as Onesteel Recycling, received its penalty after pleading guilty to one count of breaching Section 19 of the Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act 1986, in failing to ensure the safety of an employee.

During an operation to shift scrap metal at the EDI rail yards in November 2005, a truck driver was instructed to operate a mobile crane to load the scrap metal bins onto his vehicle.

The crane, mounted on a rail during the procedure, toppled over on its side. The driver escaped unharmed.

SafeWork SA’s investigation showed that:

• The winch and load gauge on the crane did not work.
• The truck driver was not certified to operate the crane.
• There was no safe operating procedure, manual or maintenance record for the crane.
• There was no adequate hazard identification or risk assessment of the task to be performed.

“Any worker assigned a task which they’re not qualified to perform runs a substantially higher risk of harm,” said SafeWork SA executive director, Michele Patterson.