Just to refresh everyone’s mind regarding the two dogmen who suffered serious injuries as a result of a free fall incident in October 2006. This has still not been resolved.

  
Both dogmen suffered fractures of the ankles when without warning the man-box in which they were working free fell 4 floors before the brake engaged.
A similar event had occurred on the Felix St project in the Brisbane CBD late in 2004. That free fall issue wasn’t resolved.
 
In October 2006 with some discussion with industry and with the previous free fall issue on the Felix St project the Department of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland issued a blanket prohibition notice to all Favco/Favelle cranes prohibiting the use of man-box and lifting over workers.
 
With the months fast running out of 2008 almost two years after the event it appears that only seven tower cranes out of 34 erected have satisfactorily complied with Workplace Health and Safety. Queensland benchmarks on certification must apply to the hoist functions on hydraulic luffing cranes and both hoist and luff functions on rope luffing crane to prevent any further free fall incidents.
 
The Builders Labourers Federation continue to battle builders and developers who disregard the enforcement notices issued by the state government by continuing to use those banned tower cranes in an illegal manner.