Prosecution Details

Being an employer, failed, so far as was practicable, to provide and maintain a working environment in which his employees were not exposed to hazards in that he failed to provide such supervision of his employees as was necessary to enable them to perform their work in such a manner that they were not exposed to hazards.

The investigating inspector entered a site where a large steel frame structure was under construction. At one end of the structure he noticed two persons sitting on a steel beam about 9 meters above the ground. The steel beam had a 4.5 metres span between columns and was 150mm in width (see photo below). The inspector also noticed that neither of the two persons were wearing a safety harness or using any other form of protection against falling.

The persons proceeded to descend down a ladder which was leaning against one of the columns. The ladder only extended to a height about one metre below the beam and was not secured in any way.

The defendant did not make a plea.