More than 20 Safety Issues Uncovered at Brisbane Airport Tunnel Link Construction
Work resumes today...
At least 22 safety issues were uncovered in a forced safety audit being conducted at the $5.6 billion worth Brisbane Airport Tunnel Link.
The safety issues included the safety of plant and moving equipment, fire-fighting equipment, self-rescue devices, occupational exposure to dust, access to emergency stations, and falls from height.
None, however, showed a direct relation to the death of 40-year old Sam Beveridge. Beveridge died Friday last week after a falling beam struck him in the head at Lutwyche. The worker died in the hospital the following day.
"Those inspections have identified a range of workplace health and safety issues typical of large tunnelling projects in particular, but none directly related to last week's fatal incident," the Department of Justice and Attorney-General said in a statement. The inspections were carried out by the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ).
The 22 "enforcement notices" have been to the Airport Link's principal contractor Thiess John Holland and various sub-contractors for them to work on strategies to address the detected issues.
WHSQ inspectors are also conducting other investigations into the construction of the Airport Link, all to ensure the workers' safety in correlation to the structure's stability.
The WHSQ did not find any serious safety issues, only minor "housekeeping issues," such as cable placement and the testing and tagging of electrical equipment. Brisbane Airport Tunnel Link's principal contractor said these are already being rectified.
Beveridge's death, on the other hand, is being investigated by Commcare, the federal government's workplace organization.
The Electrical Trades Union said they were grateful for the full cooperation of Holland into the safety audit. All workers likewise received uninterrupted renumeration while the audit was ongoing.
The $5.6 billion Airport Link is by far Australia's largest road infrastructure project. It will connect the Brisbane's central business district with the Clem Jones Tunnel and the East-West Arterial Road leading to the Brisbane Airport. Work began on the project in November 2008, and it is planned to open by mid-2012. It is the longest road tunnel system in Australia, with 5.2km of its 6.7km-length underground.
WHSQ said it will start doing daily workplace inspections into the project till the end of next week, from fortnightly inspections before Beveridge's untimely death.