WorkSafe closes in on confined space safety breaches

A principal contractor for plumbing works at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre has been fined $35,000 after WorkSafe Victoria inspectors identified serious confined space safety breaches during an inspection on 17 July 2024.

Inspectors found two workers operating in an excavated tunnel classified as a confined space without adequate controls to manage atmospheric hazards or prevent engulfment, and only one worker had confined space training.

The inspectors issued prohibition and improvement notices as they reasonably believed that the two workers were exposed to the risk of asphyxiation due to a significant decrease in oxygen levels within the excavated tunnel.

The company, A Grade Maintenance Service Pty Ltd, rectified the issues by:

obtaining a confined space entry permit;
revising safety documentation; and
engaging specialist consultants.

It pleaded guilty and was fined $35,000, without conviction, and ordered to pay costs.

In sentencing, the Court emphasised the seriousness of the offending and the importance of general deterrence, while recognising the company’s early guilty plea, cooperation, remediation efforts, strong safety improvements and low risk of reoffending.

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