WorkSafe has warned there will be consequences for not managing the risk associated with working at heights on construction sites following two serious incidents in less than two weeks.
A 19-year-old carpenter was injured when he fell from scaffolding at a Dandenong building site on Friday, while a man in his 20s was seriously injured when he fell about six metres at a construction site in Fitzroy on January 31.
A total of 11 serious falls have been reported to WorkSafe since January 1, including:
• A 21-year-old man who suffered a neck fracture after he fell through a suspended floor while carrying out renovation work in the Geelong suburb of Bell Post Hill.
• A 61-year-old worker who fractured his hip after slipping off a 1.5 metre ladder at a multi-story development in Southbank.
• A worker in his 20s who was taken to hospital with a head laceration after falling almost 2.5 metres while installing battens on the roof of an office building in Colac.
WorkSafe Head of Hazardous Industries and Industry Practice, Michael Coffey, said falls were a leading cause of serious injury and death on construction sites.
“Employers have a responsibility to identify the risk of falls from any height and make sure the appropriate safety control measures are in place to control the risk,” Mr Coffey said.
