Huge fine for gruesome toe injury

Major construction company Lendlease has been hit with a $100,000 fine after a tradie lost his toe in an incident on one of its site.

The bricklayer suffered the injury that led to his toe being amputated while working on the redevelopment of the Campbell Barracks Defence base in Perth in June 2017, where Lendlease was the principal contractor.

Health and safety regulator Comcare found workers from the subcontractor Kuredale were using a crane to lift a steel truss when it hit another frame and concrete slab.

That frame, which weighs close to 200kg, broke off and fell, landing on the worker’s foot and causing injuries so severe his toe had to be amputated.

The worker was employed by another subcontractor.

The incident could have been a lot worse, with the frame “narrowly missing several workers”, Comcare said.

Comcare alleged Lendlease and Kuredale had “failed to implement an exclusion zone and provide adequate training, instruction and supervision to workers”.

Further, Lendlease had been aware of ongoing issues relating to exclusion issues at the site, according to Comcare chief executive Greg Vines.

“There were persistent and serious failures in the maintenance and enforcement of exclusion zones, including incidents involving Kuredale,” Mr Vines said.

“The risks to workers were significant and foreseeable. The incident would have been prevented by implementing the simple control of having an effective exclusion zone in place.”

Kuredale (trading as Metro Lintels) pleaded guilty to two counts and was convicted and fined $75,000 in October 2021.

Lendlease contested its single charge and was found guilty following a trial in the Perth Magistrates Court on June 16.