ACT Work Safety Commissioner Greg Jones said the investigation remained ongoing. File Photo.
A local building contractor has been issued a prohibition notice from WorkSafe ACT after a concrete panel fell for nearly 20 metres at a Braddon construction site, crushing a small toilet block and a car parked nearby on Wednesday morning (30 January).
Chase Building Group, a Canberra-based building contractor that has been in operation since 2003, was responsible for the incident at the site of the Yamaroshi apartment complex, which is currently under construction at 32 Mort Street.
The 3.7-tonne panel, which was in the process of permanent fixing, fell 17 metres, crushing a toilet block at the back of the Braddon Smash Repairs.
WorkSafe ACT inspectors have been investigating the site for the past couple of days and have issued a notice on the construction site. They said the site had non-compliant scaffolding and didn’t have an adequate number of areas of access and exits on a number of levels.
ACT Work Safety Commissioner Greg Jones said the investigation remained ongoing and further regulatory action would be considered as it progressed.
Mr Jones said reports of non-compliant scaffolding at the site was particularly troubling noting Worksafe’s ongoing and intensive focus on scaffolding and working at heights in the construction sector.
“This matter will be looked at closely as part of the investigation and I’d encourage all industry to thoroughly check their scaffolding to ensure that it fully is compliant and safe,” he said.
An exclusion zone remains in place at the site but is impacting only the footpath area around the site. There are no major road impacts in the area at this time.
Mr Jones said planning is now underway for the safe removal of the fallen panel from the neighbouring Braddon Smash Repairs, with the business now able to return to operations with temporary amenities provided on the site.
Loading ...
