A DIVING company that specialises in underwater tank inspections and repairs has been convicted and fined for a string of life-threatening health and safety offences, including an incident in Kerang, in which a diver was left trapped and alone in an irrigation culvert.
Melbourne-based Underwater Inspection Services was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court last week after pleading guilty to seven charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
UIS was fined $600,000 for recklessly engaging in conduct that placed workers in danger of serious injury or drowning, $70,000 for failing to provide necessary training for workers to perform their tasks safety, and $60,000 for failing to provide safe systems of work.
The court heard that on five jobs between May and August 2018, the company repeatedly placed workers in dangerous situations.
One diver had to shimmy backwards to escape a culvert less than one metre in diameter on a job at Kerang in July 2018.
The diver crawled into the 3.5m long irrigation culvert to inspect it but could not move when her “umbilical cord” became stuck on the outside.
Lying in murky water with rats around her, she started to panic.
The worker called for help via a communication system.
No one responded, and after about 15 minutes she managed to exit the culvert herself.
WorkSafe’s investigation found a backup diver on the same job was not adequately trained to undertake a rescue and was unfamiliar with their ill-fitting dry suit, mask and surface supplied breathing apparatus.
Workers told their director that they were uncomfortable with certain tasks, and in August 2018, the combined concerns of two workers prompted a call to WorkSafe.
During WorkSafe’s investigation, UIS instructed its workers to lie about their experience and training.
WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Narelle Beer said the “scope of offending was astounding” given the highly specialised nature of commercial diving.
“Diving is inherently hazardous, with deadly risks such as asphyxiation and drowning, making such a cavalier approach to safety especially egregious,” Dr Beer said.
“WorkSafe won’t hesitate to prosecute any duty holder who displays such blatant disregard for their worker’s safety.”
