THE owner of an Adelaide sign installation business has been convicted and fined over $46,000 after one of his workers was electrocuted and a second was put at risk.
Grant McIvor, proprietor of Graphic Installations, pleased guilty to two counts of failing to ensure the safety of employees and breaching the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act of 1986.
The fatal accident on 31 January 2005 saw Alan Groeneveld killed when he touched live wires within an illuminated sign at a Prospect car dealership.
The 34 year old father of three was performing maintenance work on the sign along with a 22 year old colleague. The younger man tried to rescue Groeneveld by pulling him away from the sign, exposing himself to the risk.
According to SafeWork SA, the sign’s power supply was not isolated, despite the switch being difficult to find. There was no prior hazard identification or risk assessment, and the working procedures were inadequate for safety. Safeguards for working at height were found to be insufficient, and the workers had not been properly trained, instructed, supervised or informed.
The court said employers cannot rely on the experience and competence of employees to work out safety for themselves. He also found the company had a reasonable set of safety documents, but they were not consistently used.
The penalty was moderated by McIvor’s early guilty plea, cooperation with SafeWork SA, contrition, and the small size of his business. He was fined a total of $46,500 plus costs.
SafeWork SA says employers need to have an active safety policy supported by safe work procedures to cover difficult or extraordinary situations. It added that risks should be acted on promptly.
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