River11 fined $75,000 after worker injured by falling crane debris
A Yatala business’s landlord has been fined $75,000 because of a crane incident on the premises. Find out what happened.
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The landlord of a Yatala business premises where a worker was injured by debris falling from a building crane has been fined $75,000.
A magistrate found there was potential for someone to have been killed or seriously injured.
River11 Pty Ltd pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates court this week to failing to ensure the building was without risks to health and safety of people in the workplace.
River11 leased the Yatala property to a steel business.
On July 28, 2019 a worker was left with fractures, cuts and bruises after three bolts on the support bracket attaching a bridge crane to a wall failed and the equipment fell.
The worker was hit by debris as he attempted to get out of the way.
The court was told the Yatala building had three overhead bridge cranes which traversed a runway structure.
When purchasing the building, River11 conducted several inspections but did not examine the bridge cranes or runway.
The court was told it also failed to engage mechanical or structural engineers to assess the building.
The lease entered by the steel firm outlined the bridge cranes supplied were the property of River11 and that it would undertake any repairs and replacement of major working components.
The court was told, it was agreed the steel business must enter into a preventive maintenance contract for the regular servicing of the cranes.
However, the steel firm did not do so and instead engaged a provider on an “ad hoc” basis to do general maintenance, breakdown, service and repairs.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland engineers found the absence of a column to support the end of the runway was the main contributing factor to the incident.
Magistrate Gary Finger said there was potential for a worker to be killed or seriously injured.
Magistrate Finger fined River11 $75,000 and ordered they pay $600 in costs. No conviction was recorded.
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