Construction worker fined by safety watchdog for using fake qualifications

A worker on a major northern suburbs construction site has copped a significant fine after using fraudulent qualifications to operate a forklift.

A man has copped a massive fine for allegedly using fake documents to operate a forklift on a Darwin construction site.

A man who used fraudulent qualifications to operate a forklift on a major construction site in Darwin’s northern suburbs has been fined $1480 by the safety watchdog.

NT WorkSafe said the international worker attempted to pass-off a doctored version of another worker’s certificate of attainment as his licence and was using a fake interstate white card.

The regulator said the man, who was hired through a recruitment agency, had been operating an all-terrain forklift in the vicinity of other workers.

WorkSafe issued an improvement notice to the construction company involved to improve their systems to verify worker competencies.

The recruitment agency has also commenced an audit of employee licences after being contacted about the incident.

WorkSafe is now urging all employers to check the validity of workers’ licenses before allowing them to perform high-risk work.

“We are asking all construction companies and recruitment agencies to do their due diligence and verify their workers competencies and training,” acting regulatory compliance manager Fiona Peters said.

“If a worker gives you an NT licence or document and it doesn’t look right, call NT WorkSafe.”

Workers with licences were also warned not to allow their documents to be used in a fraudulent manner, as assisting an unlicensed worker to perform high-risk work is a potential breach of work health and safety laws.

The maximum penalty for a prosecution is $20,000 for a worker, $50,000 for individual employers and $250,000 for body corporates.