Construction worker convicted over excavator injury

A construction worker has been fined after the excavator injury of another worker in 2022.

Excavator performing earthworks. Picture: iStock/Getty Images Excavator.

A construction worker has been fined $20,000 after he reversed over another worker with an excavator in 2022, causing serious injury.

Jonathan Curtain was convicted on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a health and safety duty which exposed an individual to a risk of death or serious injury or illness and to not ensuring that an item of plant does not collide with pedestrians or other powered mobile plant.

Curtain was an employee of Andrew Walter Constructions at the time of the incident.

“WorkSafe Tasmania inspectors attended the incident on the day, and the subsequent investigation identified breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012,” WorkSafe Tasmania health and safety regulator Robyn Pearce said.

“This incident had a serious impact on the life of the injured worker.

“Plant operators need to be aware of their surroundings when operating heavy plant.

“The establishment of an effective exclusion zone around operating plant is a critical safety measure but it will not prevent serious injuries if the plant operator does not ensure there are no workers or other people near the plant.”

Originally published as Construction worker convicted over excavator injury