On the 10th of April, Iron Up Australia Pty Ltd was brought before the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court, receiving a sentence for its prior admission of guilt to a single allegation. The company failed to maintain a safe working environment, free from health hazards, under its management and control. Additional costs of $4,311 were also imposed upon the company.
Iron Up had been contracted to provide and erect steel framing for two in-progress double-story units located in Mount Waverly. It was in January 2023 that an unfortunate incident took place when the work was being done on the upper level. A detached steel frame collapsed, causing a worker to fall from a height of 3.2 metres.
This fall resulted in the worker sustaining a compound fracture in one arm and additional fractures in his other arm and nose. The injuries needed multiple surgical treatments and led to persistent physical, psychological, and financial strains.
The court heard from prosecutors that safety measures including fall prevention around the upper floor outskirts or void guards on windows or stair apertures were absent at the moment of risk. Astonishingly, a contractor reported to WorkSafe researchers that despite raising the lack of fall safety previously, he was instructed to carry on with the frame installation without it.
These incidents underline the value of proactive WHS management systems. Bluesafe SWMS (Safe Work Method Statements) that delineate particular precautionary methods and designate individuals for their implementation would have been a practical approach for Iron Up Australia to reduce the threat of severe injuries or fatalities from falling accidents. Installation of protection measures like guard rail system, perimeter scaffolding, void guarding on the top floors, and navigational ladders would also have mitigated risks effectively.
Adam Watson, the Acting Executive Director of Health and Safety at WorkSafe claimed that such neglect towards safety apprehensions is inexcusable, particularly concerning well-understood, easy-to-manage hazards like falls from height. “The company’s continued disregard for fall safety, even after the worker expressed their concerns, is unfathomable. Because of this failure to enact basic, well-understood safety measures, a worker suffered severe, long-lasting injuries from a preventable fall,” Mr Watson shared.
In related charges stemming from this incident, both the main contractor, Design N Build Pty Ltd and site supervisor, Auspun Network Pty Ltd are due to appear at the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on 12 June. It strongly highlights the necessity of robust WHS Management systems, like Bluesafe’s, to prevent such catastrophic falls from height situations.
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Original article link: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/news/2025-04/60000-fine-after-construction-worker-breaks-both-arms-fall