WVCT Oz Pty Ltd, trading as Western Victorian Crane Trucks, was sentenced in the Geelong Magistrates' Court on 3 February after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to provide information, instruction, training or supervision to enable an employee to work safely.
The company was also ordered to pay $5,556 in costs.
In September 2024, the driver was using a remote-operated vehicle-mounted crane to unload steel trusses at a Charlemont construction site when the crane locked down because the load was too heavy.
He attempted to manually reposition one of the trusses - as he had previously been instructed - when the crane slewed and the load pinned him to the ground, causing a broken wrist that required a metal plate and 10 screws.
The court heard that the driver did not yet have a high risk work licence, and this was the first time he had attempted this task on his own, after starting with the company three months earlier.
The court also heard that day before the incident, the driver had told his supervisor he was not comfortable making the delivery by himself, but he was told he would lose his job if he didn't.
A WorkSafe investigation found it was necessary for WVCT Oz to reduce the risk of workers being struck by a steel frame and seriously injured or killed by supervising employees performing the task if they did not hold a high risk work licence.
WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said there was no excuse for asking workers to complete high risk work without the appropriate training, licences and supervision.
"To threaten a worker who raises genuine concerns about a task they've been given with losing their job demonstrates an egregious disregard for health and safety," Mr Jenkin said.
"Employers owe it to their workers to give them the instruction, training and supervision to work safely - it's not just the right thing to do, it's the law."
When using cranes, measures to manage the risks include:
- Selecting the proper crane and lifting equipment for the task, size and weight of the load.
- Ensuring cranes are maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and requirements, and operated within their design parameters.
- Checking that crane operators and persons connecting loads have the skills, training and appropriate high-risk licences to operate safely.
- Creating and adhering to safe systems of work and ensuring all workers are properly trained and competent before commencing the task.
- Considering environmental factors such as weather, ground bearing capacity, overhead and underground services such as powerlines and pipes/drains, and ensuring non-essential persons are excluded from the area of operation.
- For construction work, ensuring a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is created and adhered to.
