Icon Septech Vic fined $35,000 after concrete trough fell, narrowly missing workers

A Melbourne company has received a massive fine after a 2600kg concrete trough fell from a crane in Shepparton, narrowly missing some of its workers.

A Melbourne concrete manufacturer has received a massive fine after a 2600kg concrete trough fell from a crane, narrowly missing some of its workers.

Precast Civil Industries Pty Ltd, trading as Icon Septech Vic, pleaded guilty in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Friday to failing to provide a safe system of work and failing to provide the necessary training for employees to work safely.

In April 2020, two workers were directed to extract a 5m rectangular concrete trough from a mould, by flipping all 2600kg of it.

After lifting the trough and mould about 1.5m from the ground, one worker began rocking it back and forth to try to move it.

On the second push, the trough fell to the ground, narrowly missing the workers.

The court heard it was reasonably practicable for Precast Civil Industries to ensure the task was performed by mechanical means without the physical involvement of workers.

It also heard an exclusion zone should have been set up around the rotation area, and workers should have been trained by a qualified person in the use of the crane and mould spinning task.

WorkSafe health and safety executive director Narelle Beer said while an injury did not eventuate in this instance, the company’s offending was still serious.

“Unsafe use of cranes puts workers at risk of catastrophic consequences,” Dr Beer said.

“There is no excuse for duty holders who fail to provide safe systems of work and adequate training to their workers.”

The company was fined $35,000 and ordered to pay almost $4000 in costs.