A work safety investigation has found a construction company had not arranged for a building surveyor or engineer to inspect formwork before a concrete pour which led to seriously injured workers.
Valmont (Vic) Pty Ltd had been contracted to convert level two of a multi-storey car park in Sunshine, a suburb in western Melbourne, into office space. The works involved removing a car park ramp between levels one and two, installing structural steel and formwork, and pouring concrete into the void to complete the office floor.
In July 2019, a section of the formwork failed when a steel beam attaching it to the existing slab broke away as the concrete was being poured, causing three workers to fall more than two metres to the level below, two of whom were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A WorkSafe investigation found Valmont had not arranged for a building surveyor or engineer to inspect the formwork before the concrete pour despite it being reasonably practicable for the company to have arranged a pre-pour inspection and obtain a written inspection report to certify the formwork was structurally sound to support the concrete pour. Valmont was fined $125,000 and $42,752 in costs.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin warned working with formwork could be high risk and that there was no excuse for omitting important safety processes.
WorkSafe recommends construction companies:
- Ensure a competent person produces a formwork design capable of supporting the expected dynamic and static loads.
- Have systems in place to formally sign off a formwork deck as structurally sound, complete and safe for other trade workers to use as a work platform.
- Provide employees undertaking construction work with site specific training, including the onsite risks associated with formwork decks.
- Ensure High Risk Construction Work is not performed unless a Safe Work Method Statement is prepared and followed.
- Use a fall arrest system, such as a catch platform or safety nets.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia and at the helm of our magazine for 8 years. She was behind the Institute's weekly news bulletins from 2016-2021 and is now writing our focused news items. Desi has been an engineering news and features journalist/editor across all disciplines since 2013 - part of a 30-year career writing for a wide range of industries.