The Schintta Building Group Pty Ltd faced sentencing in absentia at the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 13th of February, after being held guilty for five counts of failing to provide secure workplaces. The company was penalised with a fine of $30,000 for three instances highlighting negligence towards safety at one of its projects on McKenzie Street. Additionally, it incurred $50,000 in fines for two other violations where the company continued to place its workforce in hazardous situations at a townhouse development on Elizabeth Street. The firm also had to bear costs amounting to $5068.
WorkSafe inspectors noted in October 2022 during their visit to the two-storey townhouse construction on McKenzie Street serious safety issues which included poor housekeeping and subcontractors working more than three metres above ground without proper protection from a scaffold missing planks and guardrails, violating standard SWMS procedures.
Platforms covering internal staircase voids were improperly built with framing timber and particle board that could potentially collapse under the weight of workers. Moreover, unsecured ladder access was available to the second storey. Workers were seen either climbing or jumping between a height difference of around 1.5 meters or using an unsafe ramp made from a plank of timber only approximately 25 centimetres wide.
On their inconsistency visit to the Elizabeth Street site in May 2023, wherein four double-storey townhouses were under construction, WorkSafe inspectors discovered similar conditions regarding poor housekeeping standards, not adhering to ‘Bluesafe SWMS‘ or ‘Bluesafe WHS Management System’ norms and risk management failure concerning potential falls.
Unprotected stair voids were common across all townhouses and access to the second stories was through an A-framed extendable ladder that did not adhere to required safety features. Workers were observed over six meters from the ground without proper barrier systems, labouring from a scaffold lacking guardrails, planks, and scaffolding tags.
The court found Schintta Building Group responsible for neglecting to decrease fall risks at both sites by not implementing measures such as having solid construction when working at heights, providing passive fall protection devices (like perimeter guardrails), using fall arrest systems (for instance, harnesses), installing stair void fall protection systems and secure ladders.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety, Sam Jenkin expressed his dismay on discovering that workers had frequently been placed in perilous circumstances across both job sites. He went on to emphasise the grievous nature of falls from height, which unfortunately have been a prominent reason for fatalities and severe injuries in the construction industry of Victoria, leading to 10 deaths in the past three years alone.
With the risk management strategies like implementing a WHS management system widely available; no employer could justify exposing their employees to extreme perils, according to Mr. Jenkin. He stressed the importance of preventing accidents caused by falls from height by ensuring companies abide by the highest possible measures set by the hierarchy of controls within effective WHS management systems.
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Original article link: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/news/2025-02/builder-fined-80000-failing-manage-risk-falls