Nexus safety audit interim report handed to government

THE man charged with auditing safety procedures at Nexus' $1.6 billion Toowoomba Second Range Crossing has handed an interim report to the State Government.

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing under construction by Nexus, Friday, February 2, 2018. Picture: Kevin Farmer

THE man charged with auditing safety procedures at Nexus Infrastructure's $1.6 billion Toowoomba Second Range Crossing has handed an interim report to the State Government. 

Workplace health and safety expert Ennio Bianchi, from the specialist firm Prensa Pty Ltd, was asked to carry out a review of three key audit element areas, a Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said. 

The scope of the audit included: the incident investigation approach implemented/used by Nexus, systems of work implemented to manage mobile plant as they relate to roll-overs, and the investigative actions undertaken by Nexus.

"Prensa has provided an interim report, which is now being reviewed by TMR," the spokesman said.

"Nexus will be asked to respond shortly and have already committed to implementing the recommendations." 

Mr Bianchi began his audit on February 27, four days after an extraordinary intervention from State Government Ministers Grace Grace and Mark Bailey over long-running safety issues on the worksite.

After the February 23 meeting between the ministers and Nexus executives, the company committed to restructuring its safety team, as well as implementing the recommendations of the safety audit.

The CFMEU said it was "a miracle" no one had been killed at the workplace, which up until mid-February had seen 17 vehicle rollovers, with Nexus and its subcontractors issued with 87 statutory notices for workplace health and safety breaches, including one infringement notice, 

It then emerged earlier this month that workers who fell sick at the TSRC worksite had been drinking contaminated water supplied by Nexus for at least six days.

Current and former workers have also claimed they were sacked, or had seen people sacked, for speaking out about safety concerns. 

Responding to those claims, Nexus Infrastructure CEO John Hagan said Nexus did not condone any form of workplace harassment, discrimination and unfair dismissal and took reports of such matters very seriously.

The safety audit interim report is not currently publicly available.

The TSRC is being built under a public-private partnership with the Australian and Queensland governments.

It represents the largest Australian Government funding commitment to a single road project in Queensland's history.

When finished, it will connect the Warrego Highway at Helidon Spa in the east to the Gore Highway at Athol in the west via Charlton.

Originally published as Nexus safety audit interim report handed to government