February 23, 2018
Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace and Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey met on Friday afternoon with the construction company building the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing to discuss its safety record.
There have been 17 incidents where heavy machinery has overturned since construction began in 2015.
“This afternoon we met with senior representatives of Nexus and workforce representatives for frank discussions about the safety record on the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing,” a joint statement issued by the Ministers said.
“This is one of Queensland’s biggest infrastructure projects and we want it to be delivered on time, on budget and in a safe manner.
“There are up to 400 workers on this project. Their safety is our over-riding priority.
“We made it clear that given there have been 17 plant rollovers and serious concerns raised by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, we needed to see a significant improvement.
“We need to see a way forward that will result in cultural and material changes. We want to work with Nexus, but the responsibility for safety improvements rests firmly with the company.
“It was an open and constructive meeting.
“The company assured us they understand their responsibilities for the safety of workers on the project, will implement culture of continuous improvement, and are committed to improving their safety record.
“They assured us that they are restructuring their safety team, increasing the number of health and safety representatives and improving consultation and communication.
“They embraced the safety audit announced by Minister Bailey that will commence on Monday and agreed to accept and implement its recommendations.
“Nexus has given an assurance they will come back to us with detailed responses to the issues we raised and we will work collaboratively on solutions.”
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