At the time of going to press Staging Dimensions was due at a hearing in early February, facing the possibility of a fine of up to $350,000. While general manager Russell Bennett said they had been instructed by legal counsel that the minimum figure was more likely, the cost of the entire experience has been high, with Mr Bennett warning other small business operators working in the events business to ensure their OH&S policies were documented and understood. In December 2006 three individuals were injured unloading a truck of gear for a Staging Dimensions job. One was seriously injured, requiring surgery to his ankle.
Mr Bennett said besides the possibility of being fined the legal costs alone were presently in excess of $70,000. He estimates that the accident will cost the company almost $250,000.
“The big thing is that if you have an accident and you have nothing in writing [relating to OH&S policies and procedures] then you are guilty and you will be charged,” he explains.
“If you have an accident and you have documentation and your people have been trained in it [OH&S policies and procedures] then it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be charged.
“We didn’t have anything documented. We essentially thought that what we did was reasonably safe and we took care with what we did. Now we have everything that we do documented, right down to how to unload a truck.”
One of the problems Staging Dimensions had – and one that many small businesses working in the business events industry should also be able to relate to – is that the nature of the business is such that they use contractors to do work for them. Those contractors are deemed to fall under the responsibility of the company that is using them and they therefore must have an understanding of OH&S policies. Mr Bennett said verbal assurances from contractors that staff had been trained in OH&S matters is simply not enough.
“In our case there were three people injured. One was a casual of ours, who had two fractured bones to his ankle, and the other two had suspected back injury and a suspected hip injury. They were both released after being taken to hospital. They were from a crewing service, which makes representations to us that all their people are fully trained. [We since discovered that] one of those guys had only been in Australia for three days.
“Because we relied on the representations of this company – and they are a government-accredited training organisation, which is why we use them – and we didn’t get from them documentation proving that every person we employed had the skills to do a job, we were charged with their injuries as well. And they [the Queensland Department of Industrial Relations] has not charged the crewing company with any breaches.
“We’ve [now] spent $80,000 on documentation so far. Because we work in so many different venues; we transport, we store, we’re involved with lighting and electrical [matters], the whole process is very difficult when you have so many different areas you work in. A venue is far easier because they work their OH&S just around that one venue. Our next process now is to train our people in everything relating to this.”
Mr Bennett says he is aware of other event companies that have no documentation on OH&S and has urged them to take stock now in the unlikely event that a similar incident befalls them.
“I know of one individual [in events] who believes that this is a bit of a fad and it will go away. It isn’t going to.”
Mr Bennett said the government runs a course for small businesses with less than 15 employees on Occupational Health & Safety which involves a follow-up by a government employee to your workplace to assist with implementing a strategy. Email russell@stagingdimensions.com.au for further details.
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