Management Plans Imperative for Risky Work like Falls

Current Risk Management Plans Imperative for Risky Work Like Falls

Summary: Two recent prosecutions in Australia and New Zealand highlight why current, site-specific risk management plans remain essential for hazardous tasks involving heights and heavy equipment. Outdated procedures and generic paperwork failed to protect workers in both cases, resulting in serious injuries and significant fines.

Painter Convicted After Subcontractor Falls Through Skylight

A painter pleaded guilty to two charges in the Cobram Magistrates Court last Wednesday after the subcontractor he engaged to paint two houses and two sheds fell through a polycarbonate skylight, landing on a metal cattle fence 5.5 metres below.

The incident, which occurred at Ulupna Island Station in September 2018, happened when the contractor preparing paint on the roof of one shed stepped backwards and fell. Injuries sustained included a lacerated spleen, two broken ribs, a punctured lung, several fractured vertebrae and a compressed spinal cord.

Investigations by WorkSafe Victoria found that a harness wasn't used, and no guarding existed on the shed roof edge, nor was mesh installed underneath the skylights to prevent falls from height.

The Safe Work Method Statement provided by the painter addressed control measures for working at height; however, it wasn't site-specific and failed to identify fragile skylights as a potential hazard. Genuine falls management documentation must reflect actual conditions at each specific job site, not generic templates borrowed from previous projects.

The painter was fined costs of $3,574. Read the original article on the WorkSafe Victoria website.

Current Risk Management Plans Imperative for Risky Work

Relying on worker competency alone in hazardous work environments offers no substitute for effective, current risk management plans. That's the message to businesses from WorkSafe New Zealand following a serious workplace incident.

The warning follows a case where a Hawkes Bay steel plate cutting company faced fines after an incident in November 2017. A worker moving a steel package via gantry crane needed his leg amputated below the knee after equipment crushed it.

WorkSafe New Zealand investigations into the accident found that health and safety documentation the company used regarding gantry crane equipment operation was outdated, in some cases dating back to 2003.

The victim moved a 2289 kg steel package, using body weight to counterbalance the load. As he lowered the heavy end toward the ground, the package tilted to an almost vertical position, slipped out of the strop holding it, and fell, trapping his right ankle and foot.

A fine of $275,000 was imposed. Read the original article on the WorkSafe New Zealand website.

Why Risk Management Plans Must Stay Current

Both incidents share a common thread: risk management plans that failed to address hazardous conditions at ground level or specific equipment risks present at each site. Static, outdated documentation cannot protect workers against evolving site-specific dangers.

• Safe Work Method Statements need site-specific hazard identification, not boilerplate content
• Equipment procedures require regular review — don't let documentation age past its usefulness
• Fall prevention measures, including harnesses and edge guarding, must always work as intended before tasks begin
• Principal contractor obligations extend to verifying subcontractor safety procedures are current and adequate

A principal contractor engaging subcontractors for risky work bears responsibility for ensuring safety procedures reflect actual site conditions. Every management system should eliminate hazards at the design stage wherever possible, rather than relying solely on control measures applied after risks are identified.

For businesses managing remote sites or complex equipment operations, developing a remote and isolated work management plan alongside falls management documentation creates a more comprehensive safety net. Organisations handling hazardous materials should also consider how an asbestos management plan interacts with broader risk controls when working on older structures with skylights or roofing hazards.

Building a Reliable Management System

An effective management plan is your playbook for hazardous work — it must be reviewed regularly, tailored to the specific job site and understood by every contractor and worker involved. WorkSafe authorities in both Australia and New Zealand consistently emphasise that generic documentation provides no solid platform for genuine risk control.

Businesses should also review their broader work health and safety management system to ensure equipment inspection procedures, fall protection protocols and incident reporting processes remain aligned with current legislative requirements and actual working conditions.

Managing risk isn't a one-time exercise completed at project commencement — it demands ongoing attention as equipment ages, sites change and new hazards emerge. Fatigue and other human factors can also compound risks during hazardous tasks; see our article on fatigue management and its impact on workplace safety for further guidance.