Perth, Western Australia

May 2018 Perth, Western Australia

Project Cranes The Outcome Key Learning

Installation of tilt-up panels at a residential complex

Tower crane • Two cars crushed by a 3.9t fallen concrete panel • No injuries Comply with legal regulations for tilt-up construction including appropriate training for all workers

In May 2018, a 3.88 tonne tilt-up panel fell from a residential construction site in Perth, Western Australia, crushing two cars below in the neighbouring car park. Fortunately, there were no injuries. The incident involved a labour hire worker who was acting as an unlicensed surveyor alongside an apprentice boilermaker. On the first floor of the 34-storey apartment complex, tilt-up concrete panels were being supported by temporary braces – namely, two props bolted to the internal face of each panel and to the suspended concrete slab floors.

The unlicensed surveyor decided to align an out-of-place panel using the site’s tower

crane. The two men unbolted the timber connecting the panel to the one below. As the unlicensed surveyor left the area, he instructed the apprentice to locate the socket needed to unbolt the temporary props.

The apprentice then unbolted the temporary props causing the 3 x 4m panel to fall from the building onto two cars parked in the adjacent property.

The building company involved was found guilty of failing to ensure work was directly supervised by a person who had completed an approved course for managers and supervisors on a site where tilt-up work was being done. They were fined $47,500 and ordered to pay $1519 in costs.

Further, the company was also prosecuted for failing to comply with an improvement notice issued in July 2018 requiring it to have at least one member of staff certified as competent by completing an approved Supervise Tilt-up Work course. The notice was not complied with until early September.

Key learnings from this incident

Whilst the offending company’s Managing Director said the incident was caused by “human error”, the root cause was not a simple mistake but rather a failure to comply with legal regulations for tilt-up construction and the provision of appropriate training.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Darren Kavanagh stated “Since 2008, there has been a National Code of Practice for Precast, Tilt-up and Concrete Elements in Building Construction that needs to be followed in every workplace where tilt-up construction is taking place.

“Tilt-up construction can be a hazardous activity, and it’s vital that both workers and members of the public are protected from any potential incidents involving falling concrete panels.” Building companies have a legal and moral responsibility to adequately train their workers and provide a safe place of work.