A construction and civil engineering business in South Australia, LR&M Construction Pty Ltd, has been fined $75,000 after a worker suffered severe injuries in a trench collapse at a building site in Totness, Adelaide Hills.
The incident occurred in July 2022 and resulted in the worker sustaining a crushed leg, necessitating multiple surgeries and an eight-week hospital stay.
A SafeWork SA investigation found that LR&M failed to establish a safe work system in compliance with section 32 of the Work Health Safety Act 2012 and the Excavation Work Code of Practice. A technical report indicated that the trench, which was 1.6 meters deep, should have been either benched, battered, or shored to prevent collapse.
Unsafe practices, including a lack of proper inspections, contributed to the incident.
The South Australian Employment Tribunal highlighted LR&M's serious deficiencies in safety protocols and criticized the company for allowing an unsecured trench deeper than 1.5 meters and for failing to recognize hazards associated with previous ground disturbances.
SafeWork SA's Executive Director, Glenn Farrell, stated that the injuries sustained by the worker could have been easily prevented if LR&M had adhered to the regulations. He emphasized the importance of implementing and monitoring safe systems to protect workers, stating, "There is no excuse for exposing workers to the risk of trench collapse."
Following the incident, LR&M has ceased trenching operations and is winding down its activities, further underscoring the incident's impact.
Read more: SafeWork SA - $75K fine trench collapse leads to crushed leg
