Construcciones Yamaro: Real incidents fuel WorkSafe Victoria’s construction safety push
WorkSafe Victoria is transforming real‑life incidents into powerful lessons to protect workers on construction sites.
In the latest example, a 2020 incident involving a sprinkler head that fell 26 floors from a Melbourne construction site has been turned into a safety animation to highlight the dangers of high-risk construction work.
In a visual representation of the incident, WorkSafe Victoria shares insights from its investigation, aiming to raise awareness of the dangers across the sector. Sam Jenkin, executive director of health and safety at WorkSafe Victoria, explains how even small falling objects can hit with devastating force.
“The sprinkler head landed close to workers at street level, [hitting the ground] with the same force as being hit by a car – it was only good fortune that no one was injured,” says Jenkin. “Unfortunately, this was just one of many serious incidents involving falling objects on construction sites in recent years.”
“Duty holders who fail to control the risk of falling objects can face enforcement action and serious fines.”
WorkSafe Victoria agreed for Multiplex Constructions to enter an enforceable undertaking in respect of the 2020 incident, through which the company has committed to creating educational materials, including the animated video, to raise awareness about the risks.
A widespread issue
This incident is far from isolated. Hundreds of workers have been injured, with countless near-misses involving falling objects in recent years. Since the start of 2023, WorkSafe Victoria’s legal actions against 10 construction companies for similar incidents have resulted in over $1.05 million in fines, costs and enforceable undertakings. In the same period, 274 workers in Victoria’s construction industry were seriously injured by falling objects.
“By recreating a real workplace incident, we can illustrate exactly how and why it happened, as well as explain the steps that should have been taken to control the risk,” says Jenkin. “It’s also useful to demonstrate how a range of circumstances acted together to increase the risk.”
“For example, in this case, the principal contractor failed to cover all gaps between the perimeter screen and building edges, while the subcontractor failed to prevent workers accessing the floors where nets weren’t yet in place.”
Through animations like this, WorkSafe Victoria aims to not only share lessons learned but also help prevent such incidents from happening again.
While falling objects are a significant risk, they are not the only hazard construction workers face. Falls from heights, electrical hazards, structural collapses and mobile plant issues are among the leading causes of fatalities and serious injuries. The very nature of the work – handling heavy materials, operating moving equipment and working at heights – creates a set of risks unique to the industry.
The construction sector in Victoria continues to see a high number of work‑related fatalities and injuries. Since the start of 2024, there have been five work‑related fatalities in the construction industry, and WorkSafe Victoria has accepted 2,215 injury claims, representing 13.7 per cent of all claims this year.
Construction sites are constantly changing environments. A hazard that didn’t exist one day can appear the next. “That’s not an excuse, it’s an imperative for duty holders and anyone working in the construction industry to make health and safety a priority,” says Jenkin.
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Commitment to change
Under Victoria’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers must do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect workers from harm.
Jenkin stresses the responsibility of those in charge: “Ultimately, it is up to duty holders to take every reasonable step to address risks to the health and safety of workers and others who could be affected by their actions – such as people in the street below high-rise construction sites.”
WorkSafe Victoria offers detailed guidance on how to reduce hazards in construction. For example, Jenkin suggests that to minimise the risk of falling objects, workers should secure perimeter screens on high-rise sites and ensure gaps are tightly closed. Additionally, enclosing ground-level walkways, using debris nets and attaching tools and equipment with lanyards for those working at heights can further enhance safety.
“You can also use administrative controls, such as restricting access to heights where safety barriers aren’t installed, and ensuring all workers are briefed on these restrictions and trained in the appropriate precautions,” he adds.
WorkSafe Victoria is committed to reducing workplace harm, including through compliance and enforcement actions such as issuing notices and commencing prosecutions. WorkSafe Victoria inspectors have made more than 9,500 visits to construction sites so far this year, including 665 where inspectors observed high-risk activities, issuing more than 4,200 notices for unsafe practices.
“Alarmingly, inspectors still see too many examples of workplace safety blatantly ignored on construction sites – such as workers on roofs without fall protection,” says Jenkin.
WorkSafe Victoria also raises awareness and provides guidance to duty holders through its Safety Soapbox newsletter and safety alerts, and works closely with industry associations that help spread the message. Jenkin urges employers and workers in the construction industry to subscribe to these resources to stay informed about the latest safety developments.
“Making occupational health and safety a daily priority is critical to preventing fatalities and serious injuries in construction,” says Jenkin. “No one should ever be injured at work, and yet we hear countless stories of construction workers whose lives are changed forever due to a workplace injury.”
In its continuing efforts to reduce workplace harm, WorkSafe Victoria plans to build on its ‘falling object’ animation with a series of videos based on real-life incidents. These educational tools aim to highlight the dangers of high-risk work and encourage employers to make safety a priority, ensuring that everyone who steps onto a construction site returns home safely.
WorkSafe Victoria: The regulator’s role
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If you identify a safety risk at work, report it to your supervisor, health and safety representative, or WorkSafe Victoria’s advisory service on 1800 136 089. If there’s an immediate danger to life or property, then call emergency services on 000. WorkSafe Victoria also has online reporting available on its website.
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