|
THE WESTGATE BRIDGE: 38 YEARS ON AND 35 DEATHS LATER
October 15th 2008 marked the 38th anniversary of one Australia’s most tragic workplace incidents.
On October 15 1970, that fateful day, workers were toiling on what was to be the great relief bridge for vehicles travelling in and out of Melbourne from the western regions. No longer would they need to go through the Footscray bottlenecks or wait for the old Newport Steam Ferry to shunt their cars to and from Port Melbourne. The gate to the West was finally happening!
The Westgate Bridge was marked as the bridge of all bridges in Australia, a masterpiece of engineering, and it is! But, where did it go wrong?
The Westgate Bridge was, and, still is, one of the greatest bridge tragedies on the world, as we saw 35 workers die when a full span suddenly collapsed and plunged to the earth below.
Some of the 35 workers unintentionally rode it down to their deaths whilst others were buried under it!
In comparison, the Bridge death toll was equal to 7% of all Australian service men and women who died during the ten year Vietnam War; but this happened in one day, on a worksite.
Many remember that day, because it impacted Australia as overwhelmingly as the Twin Towers in 2001. Newspapers were read in disbelief and horror, and everyone was glued to the TV news hoping for the best.
The Royal Commission attributed the tragedy to the removal of bolts to rectify a buckle that had occurred in one of the span panels, however, others think the commission should have gone back further into the bridge’s construction history, to the drawing boards and planning tables of the constructors, to the question of HOW this was to be erected, and was the modus operandi correct.
In 1974, mid-way between the ill-fated 1970 and the completion date of 1978, I had the privilege of being on the bridge during construction. I wasn’t a worker on the bridge, but a cheeky 19 year old working close by on telephone lines with my workmate. We had conned our way to the top by telling them we have to check phone lines.
At the top, it was an exhilarating but humbling experience which stirred emotions in both of us. As we watched workers going about the business the thought of a span collapsing was inconceivable, and yet, only four years before, it was a reality.
Ironically, on our way up, our lift operator’s name was Jesus. At the time I thought it unusual and have not forgotten it. I remember looking at his hard hat with his name taped on it ‘Jesus Ason’ and quizzing him about it.
Do we need disasters such as the Westgate Bridge?
It wasn’t a natural disaster, like a lightning strike or tidal wave, a famine or drought; and neither was it a war. It was an appalling workplace incident, which, again, could have been prevented.
Even today, construction deaths are still occurring in Australia, and therefore the question must be asked, have we learnt anything 38 years on?
Governments set the parameters with legislation but, in the end, businesses and individuals are the catalyst to workplace injury and death reduction.
Eliminating or reducing workplace incidents should be seen by every individual as a personal moral choice and moral decision, not a need to comply with legislation.
Whether the evaluation to venture outside of workplace safety is undertaken in the boardroom, in the supervisors office, or at the coalface, change will not come until we all, as community members, see it as our moral duty to ourselves, our workmates, families and the public purse, to work safely, regardless of the job.
Niv Neyland
To learn about the Westgate Bridge tragedy, click here: www.westgatebridge.org
|
|
2007 saw the Bacou-Dalloz name change to the much easier Sperian Protection. But the products in the Sperian Protection range are still the high quality industry has come to expect.
Sperian Protection is synonymous with industry and is a world leader in the design, manufacture and sale of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
With their untiring commitment to safety and dedication to innovation they have developed an enviable track record in client satisfaction and service unique to your needs.
Sperian Protection offers a complete range of PPE solutions in:
- Fall protection
- Hearing protection
- Respiratory
- Hand and body protection
Their latest initiative, VeriPRO, is a portable testing device that can measure actual attenuation levels to ensure your employees who work on noisy environments have the right protection. This reduces the chance of noise induced hearing loss and minimises the need for expensive hearing loss WorkCover claims.
VeriPRO works with earplugs from any manufacturer, creates and stores employees personal attenuation ratings, provides employees with training on earplug fitting, and is easy to use.
To make sure your teams are wearing the correct protection, contact Sperian Protection through their website www.sperianprotection.com.au or by phone 1300 139 166
|
