Worker who fell from scaffolding at CDU's city campus construction site not reported for four days: NT WorkSafe | NT Independent

Worker who fell from scaffolding at CDU’s city campus construction site not reported for four days: NT WorkSafe

by | Jul 27, 2022 | News | 0 comments

A worker at Charles Darwin University’s city campus construction site fell from scaffolding last Saturday in a workplace incident that was not reported to NT WorkSafe until yesterday, around the same time the NT Independent sent questions to the contractor and university.

Both CDU and Halikos Group – the company that won the $190 million construction contract to build the Cavenagh Street project last year – refused to comment on the incident or explain why it was not immediately reported to authorities.

NT WorkSafe said they were only notified of the incident on Wednesday morning and were currently investigating.

“NT WorkSafe can confirm that we have been notified of an incident that occurred at the CDU construction site on Cavenagh Street,” a spokesman told the NT Independent.

“A falls-related incident involving a worker on scaffolding occurred on Saturday 23 July.

“The notification was made by the worker’s employer, who is a subcontractor at the site.”

The spokesman later confirmed the subcontractor that employed the worker who fell from the scaffolding only reported the fall to NT WorkSafe on Wednesday morning, four days after the event and while word of the incident was spreading.

“NT WorkSafe has commenced an enquiry into the incident to determine the appropriate regulatory response,” the spokesman said.

A source with knowledge of the city campus project told the NT Independent that previous safety concerns had been raised about the site and that the actions leading up to the fall incident may have breached NT safe work polices.

The source said the worker who fell was a concreter who had been instructed to move scaffolding to facilitate a concrete pour on the Saturday because licensed scaffolding professionals were not on site.

NT WorkSafe policies state that scaffolds “from which a person or object could fall more than 4 metres” can only be altered or dismantled by “a person who holds a scaffolding high risk work licence, or is enrolled in a training course to obtain a scaffolding high risk work licence and is under the direct supervision of a licensed scaffolder”.

It also states that a written safe work “method statement” is required for any work carried out involving scaffolding “at or above 2 metres”.

It was unclear how far the worker fell and what his current condition is.

NT WorkSafe said that “based on the information provided” four days after the incident by the man’s employer, that the incident “may not meet the definition of a notifiable incident based on the notified injuries”.

“However, as previously stated, NT Worksafe has taken the notification and commenced an enquiry,” the spokesman said.

He added that there was only one “safety concern” lodged with NT WorkSafe at the beginning of the year “regarding the CDU construction site, however this concern was not validated by WorkSafe inspectors who enquired”.

The spokesman encouraged “any workers or members of the public who have safety concerns they feel have not been appropriately addressed by an employer or business to contact us on 1800 019 115”.

Halikos Group and CDU did not respond to questions about the fall incident.

The new CDU city campus is expected to cost $250 million overall and has been hailed as the centrepiece of the Darwin City Deal partnership between the Federal Government, the NT Government and CDU.

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