Clarification on trench incident
On 7 February 2011, ABC News Online reported the following:
"No action over construction site accident
Worksafe ACT says all appropriate procedures were in place at a Canberra construction site where a worker was knocked into a trench by an excavator last month.
The 39-year-old plumber suffered a broken collarbone and back injuries in the accident at Acton three weeks ago.
Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe says an investigation has been completed and no action will be taken.
He says nothing could have been done to prevent the accident from happening."
I find the last sentence astonishing as my colleagues know many actions that could have been taken in similar circumstances. I realise the above is a short report in the media but I would appreciate some clarification.
Kevin Jones
Editor of SafetyAtWorkBlog
Tags: trenching
Views: 45
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Peter Blayney on -
Good point Kevin.
My take on it, or the context I assume the comment was made, is that certain things occurred that made the incident inevitable. Unfortunately, like all incidents, once that first domino falls, there is nothing that can stop the rest going over as well. They key is to ensure that, the first one doesn't fall, yet should one fall, mechanisms are in place to prevent others going over as well.
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Permalink Reply by Mark McCabe on -
The short answer is that I was misquoted. Basically, Worksafe was satisfied with the action that was taken in response to the incident at the time.
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