A Sydney subcontractor has been fined $450,000 after an apprentice was impaled while working on a high-rise building in Wollongong’s CBD.
The apprentice was working on the Signature building in Regent St, Wollongong, on August 28, 2019, court documents obtained by 7NEWS.com.au reveal.
The man was trying to nail down a spare plywood sheet on level 16 when he walked forward and fell onto a steel bar covered by a mislabelled piece of plywood.
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The plywood should have been labelled to indicate it was covering the column opening or penetration below, a NSW District Court judge ruled on March 22, 2024.
Below the penetration were 10 steel reinforced bars protruding from the concrete floor on level 15.
The man suffered extensive injuries, including a 4cm-deep cut to his leg, and was rushed to Wollongong Hospital.
He later underwent surgery for his injuries.
The court fined the subcontractor, Metsquare Pty Ltd, $450,000, stating the “injury, emotional harm, loss, or damage caused by the offence was substantial”.
The maximum fine for the offence is $1.5 million.
SafeWork NSW head Trent Curtin warned working at heights is “a constant risk for construction workers”.
“Those risks are greatest when there are openings which workers can fall through, such as voids for staircases or utilities,” he told 7NEWS.com.au.
“This could have been a fatality and left an apprentice worker with serious traumatic physical injury and caused substantial harm to his life.
“When managing a site you are required to address voids in site management plans and inductions, and ensure all voids and penetrations have a clearly marked cover which is secured so that it can’t be dislodged.”
