Six charged over ACT death

Six individuals and four firms charged over the ACT's "worst 
ever industrial accident" are in court as tough new safety laws 
came into force. Lawyers for the four companies concerned have 
asked for more time to respond to charges over the collapse of a 
jet hangar at Canberra Airport last year — the hangar that was 
used to house the Prime Minister's VIP jet.

The companies that have been charged face fines of several 
hundred thousand dollars for what the Canberra Times reported as 
the Territory's "worst ever industrial accident".

Unions have welcomed the investigation into the hangar collapse, 
which could have been much worse. There could have been more 
deaths, but for the fact that many of the workers on the site 
were at lunch when the accident happened.

"We welcome an inquiry to get to the bottom of what happened", 
said Glenn Parry, CFMEU Construction Division Assistant 
Secretary. "Not necessarily to see people get pinged but to find 
out why it happened so that it doesn't happen again.

The court proceedings got underway as new occupational health and 
safety laws came into effect in the ACT despite a loud campaign 
by local businesses and the Territory's Liberal opposition.

The new laws give unions "right of entry" into workplaces to 
ensure that safety conditions are up to scratch.

Even as the laws were being passed ACT unions came across a 
building site that has been labelled "an accident waiting to 
happen".

Scaffolding had been erected within centimetres of live power 
lines and a complete absence of harnesses was accompanied by 
"fall traps everywhere".

Even the scaffolding had been erected with gaps in the planks.

"It highlights the need for unions to have access to these jobs", 
said Mr Parry. "It makes you wonder if [employers] are paying any 
notice to the new laws."

The CFMEU has welcomed the new laws, coming on the back of the 
ACT Government enacting industrial manslaughter legislation.

"There's been more discussion of safety issues since the 
industrial manslaughter laws came in than in the previous 30 
years I've been in the ACT", Glenn Parry noted.

ACT WorkCover issued three prohibition notices for serious safety 
breaches at the site and seven improvement notices.

The trial of those charged in relation to the Canberra Airport 
hangar collapse is continuing.