Built With Precision Pty Ltd failed to provide safe work environment, fall protection

A Highton building company has appeared in court after failing to provide a safe work environment after workers were found cleaning a roof without fall protection.

Built With Precision appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one count of failing to provide a safe working environment. Picture; Instagram

A Highton building company has been slapped with a $7000 fine, but escaped conviction, after failing to provide a safe working environment and protective equipment.

Tom Davis, director of Built with Precision Pty Ltd, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one count of failing to provide a safe working environment.

Prosecutor Megan Hood, on behalf of WorkSafe, told the court that on October 8, 2021, a WorkSafe inspector received a tip off and investigated a Built With Precision worksite in Wandana Heights.

At the site, the inspector found two workers on a roof without fall protection and requisite safety measures. An unsecured ladder leaned against the side of the house.

The worksite was 3.5m at the front, and 6m high at the rear.

The inspector was told the workers had been on the roof pressure cleaning for two hours before his arrival.

The inspector returned on October 13 to see guardrails had been installed at the site.

The company’s lawyer said Mr Davis had shown “genuine remorse”.

The lawyer said since the incident, the company had employed measures “novel for a workplace this size” and been “proactive” about safety.

The court heard the company had purchased its own scaffolding so it would not have to rent it, and employed safety audits to ensure it nipped any issues “in the bud”.

However, the lawyer said Mr Davis conceded on the day of the offence safety measures were inadequate and weren’t “up to standard”.

He said the company did have a safety plan in place, but it had not been followed on that occasion.

Built With Precision had not received an infringement before the offence, nor had it received one since, the court heard.

Ms Hood said while the company’s proactive approach to safety was commendable, it was also a requirement and should be a builder’s “bread and butter”.

Magistrate Simon Guthrie said “nothing was too ambitious” in reducing the risk of a serious accident at a worksite.

“I’ve seen the consequences that flow from this,” he said.

However, he noted the company had pleaded guilty at an early point, and acknowledged that the company was making an effort to be safety conscious.

He accepted that Mr Davis was a man “of good character” but noted he was a “man with experience in the industry” and should have known better.

The company was fined $7000 plus costs of $4679.

Mr Guthrie noted if there had been no guilty plea, he would have fined the company $20,000.

It is the latest in a raft of similar offences that have cost businesses.

Last month, AI Solar and Electrical Service Pty Ltd, were fined $35,000 for not providing fall protection at a worksite in Leopold on November 30.

Mzk Construction Pty Ltd were fined $30,000 on November 22 for similar offences at a block of units in Hamlyn Heights.

Originally published as Built With Precision Pty Ltd failed to provide safe work environment, fall protection