Nexus commits to better safety
THE company in charge of the $1.6 billion Toowoomba Second Range Crossing has committed to restructure their safety team after the company’s senior executives were summoned to an urgent meeting with Ministers Mark Bailey and Grace Grace yesterday.
In a statement issued late yesterday afternoon, both ministers said the Nexus had “assured” them it was increasing the number of health and safety representatives on the work site.
The company also “embraced the safety audit announced by Minister Bailey that will commence on Monday and agreed to accept and implement its recommendations”.
The audit will be led by risk management guru Ennio Bianchi, who has more than 30 years experience in the field.
Yesterday’s unprecedented intervention into Nexus’ workplace health and safety procedures had been a long time coming, according to the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.
Since the project began almost two years ago, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has made more than 200 site visits and issued 87 statutory notices to builder Nexus, a consortium of investment companies and a Spanish construction joint venture of Acciona Infrastructure and Ferrovial Agroman.
To date, there have been 17 rollovers involving plant vehicles at the $1.6 billion project, which CFMEU Queensland and Northern Territory assistant secretary Jade Ingham described as “the worst job we’ve ever seen”.
“And I think it’s a miracle no one’s been killed yet,” he
❝ I think it’s a miracle no one’s been killed yet.” — Jade Ingham
said.
“I have not seen a job like this in my time. The job’s a disgrace.”
The CFMEU has previously said it would be surprising to see any construction project reach double figures for breach notices issued.
The number of notices issued to Nexus is now fast approaching triple figures.
The Chronicle has obtained a copy of the company’s first infringement notice, issued on February 13, for “incomplete fall prevention rail systems along the western elevation of pier 19” which “provided an imminent risk of falling over two metres and being impaled onto starter bars”.
It carries a penalty of $3600.
The establishment of a special TSRC team inside WHSQ that has been working hand in glove with Nexus since the first week of January ultimately led to yesterday’s intervention from Minister for Industrial Relations Grace Grace and Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey.
Minister for Industrial Relations Grace Grace said yesterday’s meeting would send a clear message to Nexus regarding the gravity of the situation.
But for Mr Ingham, the number of breaches is representative of the workplace culture under Nexus - one that prioritises cost-cutting over safety and a place where workers fear losing their jobs if they speak up.
“(Nexus) beat the next tenderer (for the contract) by $300 million, and they’ve got to make that money back somewhere in the job,” he said.
“(Workers) are living in fear.
“They have financial commitments, mortgages to pay, families to support. They should not be put in this position where they have to compromise life and limb just to earn a dollar.”
Before yesterday’s meeting between the State Government and Nexus, Mr Ingham said: “I hope there will be serious intervention from the Government. A pow-wow sitting around, having a cup of tea together is not going to change the culture.
“They need to be put on notice and put on a very short lead and unless they change, they should have their contract torn up. As simple as that.”
Nexus did not respond to several requests for comment.