Wednesday 19th May 2021

Safety News Update: Wednesday 19th May 2021

Welcome to our Wednesday safety news roundup, bringing you the latest workplace incident reports and regulatory action from across Australia. Today's date, 19 May 2021, brings two significant updates worth noting for safety professionals in construction and event operations.

Operator charged for 2019 amusement ride crash

NT WorkSafe has charged a Darwin amusement ride operator over an incident that injured two people on a sideshow alley ride at the Freds Pass Show in 2019.

The injured people were passengers on The Octopus Ride, supplied and operated by the defendant, when one of the tension arms broke, causing the sweep arm to buckle and the attached gondola to crash to the ground.

Investigations by NT WorkSafe found several defects on the sweep arms and tension rods that compromised the structural integrity of the ride. Brakes were found to be faulty due to a lack of maintenance and repair.

Supplying and operating the ride with the defects uncovered put workers, passengers and other people near the ride in danger and at risk of severe injury or death, NT WorkSafe will allege, breaching four sections of the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011.

The matter is listed for mention in the Darwin Local Court on 24 June 2021. If found guilty of all charges, the accused faces a combined maximum penalty of $1,200,000.

The original source can be found on the NT WorkSafe website.

Victorian workplace fatality toll rises to 16

WorkSafe Victoria is investigating a death on a St Albans construction site. This tragedy brings the 2021 workplace fatality toll to 16.

It is believed the worker was struck by an overhead boom while working alone operating a concrete pump and boom. It appears the boom then collapsed, hitting the 40-year-old man.

The original media release can be found on the WorkSafe VIC website.

Why Staying Across Safety News Matters

Cases like these highlight why construction, manufacturing and healthcare professionals need reliable, current safety news each week. Incidents involving faulty equipment, inadequate maintenance and unsafe lone working practices continue to affect workers across multiple industries.

For more workplace safety news updates, check out our reports from Wednesday 12th May 2021 and Wednesday 5th May 2021, or continue following our coverage into Wednesday 26th May 2021 for the following week's developments.