Worker falls in trench (21 October 2019)
Date of incident: 21 October 2019
While putting pickets and bunting around an excavation on a construction site in Marsden Park, a 30-year-old labourer fell three metres into the trench, suffering fractures to his leg.
Construction site
The investigation
- SafeWork NSW inspectors responded to the incident.
- SafeWork NSW commenced an investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of the incident.
Safety information
Consider ‘reasonably practicable’ control measures to manage the risks of falling into an excavation at a workplace, including:
- developing a plan – in consultation with your workers and before work begins – on managing the risks of falls in and around excavations
- considering barrier fencing to further minimise accidental encroachment – perimeter barriers should be effective
- considering a suitable location for inspection, and access and egress for emergency situations
- consulting with an engineer to determine distances where shoring, benching and battering should be used – and monitor distances, particularly after rain
- using a landing platform – or scaffold towers for big excavations – to ‘in-fill’
- preparing a safe work method statement when there is a risk of falling more than two metres – and ensure workers are inducted and supervised in its implementation
- backfilling or covering the excavation.