28 Oct Competition! – National Safe Work Month – Winner 4

We were excited to receive so many entries for our first week’s competition which was centred around Musculoskeletal Injuries.. It was very difficult to choose a winner as there were quite a few excellent entries but there can only be one prize each week. The winning entry was submitted by Phil Tann and he now has free enrolment to a BSB41419 Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety qualification.

The winning entry is:

In my time in the workplace, one musculoskeletal injury that stands out involved a serious incident during tree-cutting operations near power lines. The task involved removing a large tree that had fallen and become entangled in live power lines. This type of hazard is particularly dangerous due to the combination of heavy loads and tension from the power lines, which can cause unpredictable movements.

In this case, while the team was working to safely cut and remove the tree, it unexpectedly broke under tension. Due to the inexperience of one of the workers and the lack of proper dynamic risk assessment, the hazard escalated. The tree snapped suddenly, striking the worker and causing multiple injuries. These included a broken shin, a broken wrist, abrasions across their body, and a brief loss of consciousness due to the force of the impact.

The primary control that should have been in place was a thorough and dynamic risk assessment, continually updated as the situation evolved. However, this process was insufficient, partly due to the inexperience of the worker, who was not fully familiar with the risks associated with tensioned lines. Additionally, there were challenges in accessing areas behind the lines to effectively manage the situation, which further limited visibility and control over the hazard.

An investigation into the incident concluded that while the accident was potentially avoidable, the unpredictability caused by limited visibility of the tension made it difficult to predict the exact moment or direction in which the tree would break. More robust risk management practices, combined with improved access for observation, could have reduced the likelihood of such an incident.

Fortunately, after a lengthy period of rehabilitation, the worker has recovered and returned to their role. They now work with a more experienced team and have undergone additional training to ensure better awareness of hazards in similar high-risk situations.

This was the final week for the National Safe Work Month Competition! Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry.

Stay safe.