Construction Work Safety Assignment One Report PDF

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Construction Work Safety Assignment One Report...

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

Construction Work Safety Case Study Report

Assignment One – Case Study Report Student Number: 20461788 Tutor: Douglas Brown

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

In this report it will provide you with an overview of a construction fatality that has occurred within the last eight to ten years. The construction industry has obtained many major fatalities in the last decade often occasioning in death. The effect scaffolding accidents have on the construction industry is significant often leaving many people injured. This report will go in depth about the incident which occurred in Macquarie Park where many levels of scaffolding had come to fall over a worker who goes by the name Christopher Cassanati on a Lachlan’s Line Site. At the time, the worker was 18 years old. The effect this incident posed upon the worker was a result of death; he had suffered from asphyxiation. To avoid any form of scaffolding incidents on site you must ensure that all safety protocols are abided by to eliminate any hazard on site. The correct personal protective equipment must be worn to ensure that just in case someone was to fall they were protected by any means. Finally, a case analysis of the incident will be formed to express the incident in depth closely examining the various precaution that were not followed and what could have been applied to prevent or eliminate this fatality from occurring on site.

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

CONTENTS Executive Summary:.................................................................................................................................................2 Introduction:.............................................................................................................................................................4 Case Description:......................................................................................................................................................5 Literature Review:....................................................................................................................................................6 Cost of accident....................................................................................................................................................6 Strategies for accident prevention.......................................................................................................................7 Case Analysis:...........................................................................................................................................................8 Case Analysis........................................................................................................................................................8 Recommendation.................................................................................................................................................9 Conclusion:.............................................................................................................................................................10 References:.............................................................................................................................................................11

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

INTRODUCTION:

The construction industry faces many issues nowadays. The most prominent issue which many workers are facing are safety risks. One major significant workplace fatality which has occurred in recent years was the incident on a Lachlan Line construction site in Macquarie Park, where 30m of scaffolding had collapsed leaving one critically injured and the other deceased. Firstly, a case description will express the details about the fatality which had occurred on the site on April 1st in 2019. Secondly a literature review of the costings of the accident to the employer, to society and to the family were like; and also, two strategies to prevent the accident from occurring. Finally, a case analysis is developed along with a recommendation which should be considered. Therefore, the construction industry faces many safety issues nowadays.

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

CASE DESCRIPTION:

On April the 1st of 2019 a major construction fatality had occurred occasioning in death. The incident involved two casualties who were injured significantly. One of the two had sadly passed away and the other had serious body injuries. The male who had passed was an 18year-old sub-contractor who is known to be Christopher Cassaniti. Christopher worked as an apprentice form worker on site at the time. It is believed that the incident occurred due to the lack of ties around the scaffolding of the development site. (The Sydney Morning Herald) The injured Christopher Cassaniti was working on the ground level with a co-worker when 30m of scaffolding came falling upon him leaving him restricted gasping for air. The lead up to the incident was due to an overload of the hoist (motorised construction elevator) was over capacity; the reason for this was because it was going to be removed so the workers wanted to use it whilst it still was on site. As a result of this 30m of scaffolding came crushing down on Christopher who had suffered from asphyxiation and was pronounced deceased. (Daily Mail) The building company Ganellen should have performed checks on the site as the scaffolding was being erected to make sure that it was being placed correctly. The scaffold failed to be tied down to the fixtures of the building. Often on sites to tie down scaffold you place two bars through a window to restrict the swaying of the construction; for example, the scaffold will be stopped from tipping over because it would get caught in a window frame. This is often reinforced with added tire wire to minimise the swaying and tipping of the scaffold. In the case of this development site there was a lack of tie downs which did not deem the scaffold to be secure. (9 News Sydney) The family of Christopher has refused to stay calm and have taken significant legal action claiming, “We do not want this to just be another statistic”. The mother and father of Christopher have sought legal advice and would like a construction manslaughter law to be produced in parliament. In a court hearing it is believed that Ganellen (the building company) was told multiple times that their site was deemed unsafe for workers. Furthermore, the company was fined $1.2 million however due to an early guilty plea they were fined $900,000 which was essentially covered by their insurances. (7 News Sydney)

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

LITERATURE REVIEW: COST OF ACCIDENT

Christopher Cassaniti accident on the Macquarie park development site has posed many significant impacts upon both the builder and the family. Firstly, the company Lachlan Line has been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the significant workplace fatality which occurred on the 1st of April in 2019. Also, in a news interview the family deemed that the Government of NSW step in and try resolve this incident, because of this Safe Work NSW has taken the authority to investigate the issue. The final cost of the accident is to the worker who has essentially pronounced deceased; however, the family has been left traumatised and suffers from distress. Therefore, these are the three significant cost of the accident to the company, the worker, and the family. Firstly, the company Lachlan Line has been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the significant workplace fatality which occurred on the 1st of April in 2019. Ganellen the construction company who was the contracted builder for the Macquarie Park site had acquired ‘Synergy Scaffolding Service’ to erect maintain and dismantle the scaffolding. After a thorough investigation into the company and the site by Safe Work NSW the company was taken to court where they were fined $1.2 million however with an early guilty plea it was reduced to $900,000. (Coleman Greig Lawyers) Also, in a news interview the family deemed that the Government of NSW step in and try resolve this incident, because of this Safe Work NSW has taken the authority to investigate the issue. As a result of the family proclaiming the help of the Government, the NSW premier expressed in a statement “Safe Work NSW is carrying out a full investigation into the incident and a report will be prepared for the coroner”. After this statement was put forth Safe Work NSW performed many scaffolding checks around NSW to ensure that it complies with the WHS standards. As a result of this, they issued on the spot fines of $3,600 and a total of $265,000 in fines over the whole state in a 12-month period. (ABC News) The final cost of the accident is to the worker who has essentially pronounced deceased; however, the family has been left traumatised and suffers from distress. The incident has left the family ill; the Mother and Father of Mr Cassaniti had sparked a state-wide protest demanding that there be Construction Manslaughter Laws enforced in NSW. The incident has left them distraught. They have fought the battle in the justice system where they had obtained legal advice and with the help of Safe Work NSW, they were able to prove the construction company was guilty. Patricia Christopher’s mother expressed “We do not want it to be another stat”. Hence, the family obtaining legal aid to prove the company is guilty and to enforce manslaughter laws they have been left distraught and distressed. (News Aust)

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

In conclusion, all the enlighten points express the three forms of costings of the accidents which occurred onsite. Firstly, the fine the company obtained, secondly a government body helping the family, and finally the distraught family which have been left distressed.

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

STRATEGIES FOR ACCIDEN T PREVENTION

The construction industry faces many scaffolding fatalities nowadays often leaving many people critically injured. There are many ways in which these injuries could be minimised or eliminated from sites. Firstly, obtaining a third party to overview the scaffolding would be your first point of call. Finally, follow the Work Health and Safety obligations in the model code of practice under scaffolding. Therefore, the two expressed points are two major strategies where if a company or builder abides by them should essentially eliminate the risk of scaffolding injuries. Firstly, obtaining a third party to overview the scaffolding would be your first point of call. Scaffolding that is not formed to the Work Health & Safety Standards would be extremely vulnerable and very close to collapsing as the standards state the minimum distance between each of the poles and what to do and how to do it. The company erecting the scaffold must obtain a licence for anything greater than four metres high, before the scaffold is used by the workers on site it must be overviewed by an external governing body to ensure that it complies to the standards. When the third party is examining the structure, they need to check for where it is tied down and if it is going to impacted by severe external weather conditions. Also, in intervals of 30 days the structure must continually be examined to ensure there be no tampering. If the structure is tampered with after the Work Health and Safety officer has examined, then the company will be eligible for a fine if any significant fatality occurs on site. Therefore, as a builder you must ensure that you obtain a third-party officer to examine the structure erected by the scaffolder to ensure it complies to the industry standards.(Safety Alert, Collapse of Scaffolding 2013) Finally, follow the Work Health and Safety obligations in the model code of practice under scaffolding. The model code of practice is a document compiled by the governing body Safe Work NSW, where the minimum industry standards are expressed. The scaffolding must erect to the industry standards. Also, for the safety of the workers the scaffolding must be tied down in many locations to ensure the safety component is upheld to the best standard, this is often reinforced with tire wire in some locations. Around the permitter of the structure there must be a secured net to ensure that no items fall to the bottom which may hit someone. Finally, a warning sign must be placed on the fence of the site to eliminate any form of hazard on the site. Therefore, the second strategy to prevent scaffolding injuries is to abide by the workplace industry standards to maximise safety. (Safe Work NSW, 2018) In conclusion, the above expressed points both are significant forms of strategies in which one should use to prevent, minimise, or eliminate any scaffolding injury on site.

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

CASE ANALYSIS: CASE ANALYSIS

Lachlan Line’s development site in Macquarie Park had suffered from a significant fatality involving a young employee who only 18 years of age and a 39-year-old co-worker, both these men were critically injured from 30 metres of scaffolding collapsing on top of them leaving the 18 year old trapped gasping for air. The young man suffered from asphyxiation which is being deprived of oxygen and was later pronounced deceased. The case analysis which will be examined is a part of the hierarchy of control, particularly in the admin controls. Administrative controls is the result of changing the way people work you in a way that it becomes more safe for workers on site. In relation to the incident which had occurred at the Macquarie Park site a report titled ‘Starting to get ridiculous’, (Ben Graham 2019), through this article it is identified that the risks of the scaffolding being tampered with were identified Figure 1: Hierarchy of Controls long before the incident occurring. This emphasises the management of the site did not abide by the hierarchy of control which is imposed to the builders from Safe Work NSW. The hierarchy of control can be seen in Figure 1. In a court hearing it is believed that there had been multiple emails sent through to management expressing the risks and hazards which had to be attended to. To emphasise the lack of management from Ganellen an email from ‘Synergy’ to ‘Ganellen’ on June 18, 2018 expresses “One raker tie on Building M level (used to brace the structure) has been removed. This seems to be a recurring theme, and this is starting to get ridiculous. I’ve never had these issues on any site” (Ben Graham 2018), this is one of the many emails that Synergy sent to Ganellen prior to the fatality occurring. This further reiterate the poor management strategies the construction company inflicts on the development of the site and the safety of their workers. All the significant hazards identified were discussed over email, Also, ‘Synergy’ expressed that they have never dealt with such negligent people before, and that they are going to cause problems for the scaffolders and wellbeing of the workers on site.

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

RECOMMENDATION

Synergy Scaffolding is a well-known company in the construction industry for poor management within their business and poor identification of hazards. Safe Work NSW have constructed a document which is a checklist that essentially must be followed on every check-up. Figure 1, Inspecting the Scaffold Checklist shown on the right shows the person checking the site must follow it to ensure the scaffold can be deemed safe for workers. It is advised that when erecting the scaffold all workers abide by this to eliminate any further form of analysing the work, which would save time and money for the company in the long Figure 2: Inspecting the Scaffold. term. Also, it is highly recommended that the builder and management of the site understands how to comply with this checklist because although Synergy erects the scaffold, they will not be able to analyse it every day. Workers on site should also be told not to tamper the scaffold as it has been constructed to the standards and been checked by officers. If this checklist was followed on the last inspection of the Macquarie Park site this significant fatality would have most likely been eliminated.

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

CONCLUSION:

Within this report, the analysis of the Macquarie Park fatality which occurred on April 1 st in 2019, has had a significant effect on the laws and regulations in the construction industry nowadays. The cost of the accident is deemed to be significant on the company’s behalf, and the impact it has had on society and the family of the deceased has been substantial. The main strategies which should be adopted by the construction company is to employ a thirdparty officer to examine and check the work of the scaffolding to ensure it complies with the Work Health and Safety Standards, or the model code of practice produced by Safe Work NSW. Recommendations were provided with the consideration that they may be able to be used to eliminate this significant construction place industry hazard occurring again.

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Construction Work Safety - Case Study Report

REFERENCES:

1. News, Graham B, 2019 ‘Starting to get ridiculous’: Emails reveal safety concerns

before tradie’s death’ viewed 24th May 2021 < https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/starting-to-get-ridiculous-emailsreveal-safety-concerns-before-tradies-death/newsstory/83fb61cadf6f50101db979eac44efa0d> 2. Coleman & Greig Lawyers, 2021 ‘A Call for Industrial Manslaughter Reform In NSW’ viewed 24th May 2021< https://www.colemangreig.com.au/BlogPost-1628-a-call-forindustrial-manslaughter-reform-in-nsw.aspx> 3. ABC News, 2019, ‘Sydney scaffolding death prompts calls for better safety measures from Christopher Cassaniti's family’ viewed 24th May 2021 < https://www.abc.net.au/news/201904-03/christopher-cassaniti-scaffolding-death-prompts-safety-calls/10962884> 4. Work Cover NSW, 2013, ‘Safety alert collapse of scaffolding’, vol 1 pg 1-2 viewed 25th May 2021. < http://communitye.com.au/CHSguides/pdfguides/alerts/WorkCover%20NSW%20%20Update%20-%20Scaffolding.pdf> 5. 7 News Syndey, Daoud E, 2020 ‘Construction company Ganellen fined over

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scaffolding collapse that killed Sydney teenager Christopher Cassaniti viewed 26th May 2021< https://7news.com.au/news/nsw/construction-company-ganellen-finedover-scaffolding-collapse-that-killed-sydney-teenager-christopher-cassaniti-c1788594 > 9 News Sydney, Kachor K, 2020, ‘Building company fined $900,000 after teen killed in worksite accident’ viewed 26th May 2021 < https://www.9news.com.au/national/building-company-fined-900000-over-sydneyscaffolding-collapse-which-killed-teen/5b535ee9-d1a6-4933-ad1c-328d8486aba0 > Sydney Morning Herald, 2020, Cormack L, ‘Worksite risk so high that apprentice’s death ‘was almost certain, court finds’ viewed 27th May 2021 < https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/worksite-risk-so-high-that-apprentice-sdeath-was-almost-certain-court-finds-20201211-p56mqr.html > Construction Work, 2018, ‘Code of practice’ vol 1 pages 20-22 viewed on 27 th May 2021

Daily Mail, Ayling L, 2020, ‘Mother of young tradie, 18, killed when scaffolding collapsed on him at Sydney worksite says she’s forever haunted by his cries for help as he lay dying for 20 minutes under rubble’ viewed on 27th May 2021 < https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9043139/Construction-site-convictedMacquarie-Park-building-collapse-killed-Christopher-Cassaniti.html >

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