Union: NBN rollout is putting lives at risk
- 29 April, 2010 15:29
- Comments 12
The Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has called for urgent changes to the way the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Tasmania is built, claiming workers' lives are being put in jeopardy.
CEPU organiser, Nicole Wells, said an incident where a New Zealand worker was electrocuted was merely one example of a dangerous work environment where speed was more important than safety.
“We’re terrified and deeply concerned about it. If something is not done about the way contractors operate on this site, then there will be a fatality or at the very least a serious injury,” she said.
But despite her concerns, Wells was reluctant to consider strike action if the issues aren’t resolved.
She said meetings with Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, and the Tasmanian Premier, David Bartlett, were being sought.
“The industrial relations laws as they stand now make it illegal for workers to take strike action. We want to make sure each worker feels comfortable with what they’re doing,” Wells said. “The last thing anybody wants to see is a worker killed on this rollout. Everybody has the right to go to work and return home uninjured.
“In the depot they parrot these safety messages. But once you’re out on the job it becomes ‘don’t worry about that, time is money – just get it done'.”
A spokesperson for NBN Co CEO, Mike Quigley, said the electrocution incident and five other safety problems had already been dealt with.
“Aurora, in full consultation with NBN Tasmania, decided to suspend work at the end of March,” he said. “Refresher training for all contractors was carried out to reinforce the importance of applying approved work practices in all situations. There have been no further incidents reported since work resumed.
“The way this was handled in Tasmania sends a clear message to all who want to work with NBN Co, breaches of safety will simply not be tolerated.”
But Wells insisted it wasn’t enough and demanded more be done to create a safer working environment.
“I don't think anybody would believe a five-day course would be adequate for a person with no electrical training to work safely on an electrical apparatus,” she said. “A basic electrical awareness course should take a minimum of two weeks.”
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Comments
peterh_oz
2 weeks? If it takes 2 weeks to teach someone not to touch the big black cable at the top of the pole, then that person probably shouldn't be hired in the first place!
Psychaotix
Well, there's more than just "Not touching the big black cable at the top of the pole" in those electrocal awareness courses. They would presumably also cover OHS&W, Importance of certified goods, Safe operating practices, and all the other gear as well, not to mention there's probably a first aid course in there too.
Even doing my basic electronics course, where I was involved in wiring 240v power to the circuit to be rectified, I had to follow a set proceedure, and god help you if you missed a step. These guys on the poles are working near 30,000V, so there's a significant risk.
I don't usually agree with unions, but this time, they're right. Give the guys on the pole the courses, and get the job done properly.
Toasted
How about we have only qualified electrical persons employed or at the very least the cable buried safely underground?
Astounded
Psychaotix, you are making excuses for idiots. If they don't know what they are doing, or are too stupid apply what they've been taught, they shouldn't be on the job. Period. Why should taxpayers put up with delays and massive cost overruns because of incompetence? Rudd is spending $43 BILLION on communications infrastructure. That's about $20 000 per person in Australia, or around $50 000 per household. Surely there is enough money to employ qualified professionals on the job? FFS!
Calculatron
It's about $2000 per person actually, might want to double check your decimal places/
Michael
Astounded, I would recommend checking your mathematics.
Assuming 21 million population.
$43 billion = $43,000,000,000
21 million = 21,000,000
$43,000,000,000
divide by
21,000,000
equals
$2047.61
A whole factor off your $20000 per person figure.
Giuseppe De SImone
$2,000 per person is still a lot of money. It should be done safely and also cost-effectively. The union agenda is to get more work for its members and less work for non-union contractors for obvious reasons. There are plenty of people qualified to do this sort of work who don't need any training in safety and materials handling but will need some proper induction as part of a standard workplace site management policy in accordance with proper OH&S standards as well as best industry practice. This is one job where you don't want to use dodgy labour hire firms and cut corners. It is after all supposed to be the most important infrastructure project in Australia since the Snowy Mountains scheme. In those days, workers worked under supervision of skilled engineers and foremen. Now they work alone and need to exercise skill and judgment and that requires being aware of the risks. I don't want another metal insulation fiasco where whole suburbs and towns have to be redone to work properly and be safe to use, not to mention the safety of the actual installers.
RS
Whether Astounded's sums are correct or not (obviously not) so what? He still has a valid point.
It's a bit like me now criticising you Michael for writing off instead of, of! An obvious oversight/typo, but again, so what?
Let's look at the big picture of ones comments and not be so pedantic about bs, please!
Teddy
Bit hypocritical of the union.
Their idea of safety revolves around hiring only union members, paying them high rates, send them for weeks of safety training and ensure they do not work 8 hours a day...
Just who was connecting what cables to which part of the poles?
Gough Hawke
And you'd prefer non union members, on low rates, with no safety training, working 16 hour days... perhaps all from Mumbai,Teddy?
Sounds like you've been spending a bit too much time at Liberal HQ and the Country Club with all the lads.
gnome
It is a remarkable coincidence that the union apparatchiks always discover grave safety concerns when they happen to be negotiating for something else.
It's not confined to the comms unions - eg, it seems that Qantas planes are about to fall out of the sky every time the LAMEs are in dispute over something.
This approach is now so well known that nobody outside the tabloids takes any notice of it. Perhaps somebody should tell the union bosses the story about the boy who cried wolf.
Teddy
No Gough, simply been a part of and following union antics for 40 years in Australia. We call that first hand experience.
How about you, been spending a bit too much time reading and believing union statements and blogs?
Our own union hyped up every incident or near incident, or if required created an incident when it was time to create some leverage...
As a former Telecom techo I can tell you that we had no electrocutions up on poles in my years there, and none of us were electricians mate.
And for your education Gough, not all non-union members are from Mumbai, they do not all work 16 hours, they are not all on low rates and they are not all without safety training.
You have a pretty skewed and sad view of life mate, you might want to get out amongst the greater workforce for a bit. Sure we have issues enough with Asian and Indian employment factors, but you sound just like our old and radical shop steward, who was certain Australia was doomed unless the unions went on strike every two weeks and saved the country from the capitalist pigs...
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