SafeWork SA lashes MFS over delays to investigations of 12 months

The Metropolitan Fire Service has been hit with a series of sanctions by the workplace watchdog after serious complaints languished for more than a year.

The Metropolitan Fire Service has been slapped with three sanctions by SafeWork SA for taking more than a year to investigate complaints – one of serious harassment – made by firefighters.

The improvement notices state the excessive delays have exposed the workers to “health and safety’’ risks and direct senior officers to remedy the situation or face a $250,000 fine.

It can also be revealed the investigation into assistant chief officer Roy Thompson is still ongoing – more than 13 months after it commenced – with Mr Thompson yet to be interviewed.

The revelations have sparked a call for a major review MFS processes by the firefighters union amid concerns about the handling of complaints and the treatment of those who lodge them.

“We have noted an increasing number of claims based on psychological injury,’’ United Firefighters Union secretary Max Adlam said.

“I think it needs a wholesale review of MFS management. There could be an argument for resourcing, but how are the current resources being used and what are the outcomes.

“We have dispute after dispute down in the commission and you look at them and ask, why can’t some of these things be resolved?

“These investigations should be completed in a matter of weeks and yet people are left hanging out there than a year for resolution, often without any communication.

“Unless there is a real commitment to change the culture, any changes are just words on paper.’’

United firefighters union secretary Max Adlam. Image/Russell Millard

MFS chief officer. Michael Morgan Picture: Emma Brasier

The improvement notices served on the MFS state it has breached provisions of the Work Health and Safety Act and Work Health and Safety regulations.

A notice served on April 4 states that it was “identified on multiple occasions that a lack of resourcing (inadequate staffing levels) within the human resource department was one of the contributing factors’’ to why the investigation took over 12 months to complete.

“Failure to complete the investigation in a timely manner exposed that worker and others implicated within the complaint to risks of health and safety,’’ it states.

A notice served on March 30 states the time taken to investigate the worker’s complaint was excessive and internal MFS systems “lacked information regarding monitoring and managing the timeliness of investigations.’’

It directs the MFS to review several policies and systems “and/or develop a system of work to monitor and manage investigations into bullying, harassment and other psychological hazards and risk to health and safety to ensure the investigations of such complaints are completed in a timely manner.’’

Chief officer Michael Morgan said MFS staff were being advised of the three improvement notices.

“A lack of resources in the Human Resources Department has been identified as a contributing factor in time taken to investigate a complaint lodged by a worker,’’ he said.

“The MFS continues to address the situation and is seeking to increase resourcing.’’

Mr Morgan denied there was a cultural issue within his organisation and said he was “committed to enhancing our processes.’’

“We have undertaken a full review of our workplace behaviour complaints processes and developed a proposed new behaviour management policy, underpinned by thorough industrial and whole-of-organisation consultation in December 2021,’’ he said.

MFS officer Krystle Mitchell, Chief Officer Michael Morgan and Assistant Chief Fire Officer Roy Thompson. Picture: Dean Martin

Mr Morgan declined to comment on the delay in the investigation involving assistant chief officer Thompson.

In March last year The Advertiser revealed Mr Thompson had been caught on tape laughing about not buying new fire appliances in a conversation about delaying the purchases because it would undermine a union campaign for more resources.

He has been directed not to attend the workplace – effectively suspended since then and has received more than $200,000 in pay during this period.