A Brisbane homebuilder has faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court over seven breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, from 2017.
The Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor laid seven charges and noted three complaints against the homebuilder.
The offences occurred across two Brisbane worksites. The first two complaints relate to a site visit by a WHS QLD inspector in October of 2017, where there was uncontrolled fall from height risks, unbarricaded voids, unbarricaded edges on upper-level work decks and inadequately maintained scaffolding, inadequate worker access and egress site issues. The inspector issued four improvement notices.
The third complaint came after another site visit in February 2018 where inspectors again detected labourers working from heights without appropriate edge protection.
While no workers were injured, the defendant company was responsible for work and the safety controls on those sites.
Magistrate Elizabeth Hall explained the seriousness of the offences and the failings of the defendant to adequately protect workers and address hazards. She took into account the size of the company but did consider the total penalties ($77,200) to be substantial.
No conviction was recorded.