After new penalties were introduced in Western Australia in 2018 to increase workplace safety and health offence penalties, the state has seen it’s first prison sentence due to charges including gross negligence. The WA Workplace Safety laws were introduced as a commitment to improving safety within the workplace by incentivising compliance via significant penalties.

In March 2020, Jake Williams and Fraser Pinchin were installing roof sheets on a shed approximately 9 meters high when strong winds appeared. Safety controls measures were not in place and Williams died after falling 9 meters from the apex of the roof, while Pinchin fell 7 meters and suffered several injuries.

Mark Thomas Withers, director of MT Sheds, was sentenced on Monday in the Esperance Magistrates Court to two years and two months imprisonment, with 18 months suspended, after pleading guilty to seven charges.

Among the charges was one for gross negligence against the company, which saw the company fined $550,000. Additional charges related to work being carried out without an appropriate High Risk Work (HRW) license or White Card, totaling an additional $55,000.

The fines and prison terms are the highest imposed under WA Workplace Safety and Health laws and within Australia.

More information can be found on the Western Australia WorkSafe site.

Since Tropical Cyclone Seroja caused chaos across regions of Western Australia on Sunday night/Monday morning, Western Power have been working tirelessly to assess the damage caused and repair the network.

Western Power have provided an update on their progress.

Their assessment has found damage to around 130 poles leading to over 25,000 homes to remain without power. While they are working steadily, they anticipate some areas will remain without power for weeks.

Work has commenced in Geraldton and significant repairs have been achieved on the transmission lines in the area. They aim to have the transmission lines powered this morning to progressively restore the power to properties in the area soon after.

Western Power have been able to gain access to the smaller communities north of Geraldton and are working through them to continue to assess damage and remove any hazards. They have anticipated the network in this area requires significant work to be completed before returning the area to normal.

In  the Wheatbelt region, Western Power are progressively clearing hazards and assessing the damage caused by the tropical cyclone. Where possible, they will be restoring power as they move through.

If people’s property are not damaged and are wanting to use generators to tide them over until power is returned, they are asking that people ensure they are following any specifications and guidelines, and to ensure they are connected legally.

They continue to request that if people see any damaged or downed powerlines, to remain at least 8 metres away and to report it to Western Power on 13 13 51. Updates can still be viewed directly from Western Power on their website.

Western Australia has been battered by a tropical cyclone on Sunday night/Monday morning causing widespread damage. Tropical cyclone Seroja hit land around 8pm Sunday night with winds greater than 150km/h.

The storm area was over 700km long and 150km wide and caused damage to the Midwest and Wheatbelt regions.

Western Power, who maintains the electricity network across parts of Western Australia, released information at 3pm local time on the 12th April:

• Western Power teams are assessing the damages caused to the network by Tropical Cyclone Seroja via ground and air.
• Due to the extent of the storm, repair to the network may take a number of days, although they are working to ensure the community will have access to power as soon as possible.
• Approximately 30,000 customers remain without power across the region.
• Customers relying on life-support equipment will need to ensure they follow any back up plan they have in place.
• Planned outage work within the region has been cancelled, while consideration has been placed on any outage work outside the region to see if it can be redirected to the affected areas.
• The primary aim of Western Power is to ensure any hazards are made safe as they work to restore the network.
• Western Power will continue to provide updates via their website, social media and radio.
• They have requested that if people see any damaged or downed powerlines, to remain at least 8 metres away and to report it to Western Power on 13 13 51.