VIC firms penalised after steel plate drops from high rise building

A construction firm and a hoist supplier have incurred fines totaling $45,000 following an incident where a 12-kilogram steel plate fell about 15 floors from a high rise project in South Melbourne, almost hitting a worker below.

In June, the Melbourne Magistrates' Court imposed a fine of $25,000 on the construction company and mandated the payment of $5,461 in costs after the company acknowledged its failure to maintain a safe work environment.

The hoist supplier was penalised with a fine of $20,000 without a conviction and instructed to cover costs amounting to $7,441 after entering a guilty plea in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court last month for not safeguarding non-employees from health and safety hazards.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said that annually, over 100 workers in Victoria sustain serious injuries due to objects falling from construction sites.

"In this case, both companies failed to take action over the obvious risk posed by the unattached drop plate and it could have had catastrophic consequences for those on the ground," Mr Jenkin said.

For more information, go to the WorkSafe Victoria website.