An Adelaide demolition company has been convicted and fined more than $140,000 after its excavator brought down a 415-voltage overhead powerline, exposing the operator to the risk of death or serious injury.
Two neighboring properties were damaged, while electricity to 84 properties was disrupted for about six hours following the incident on 6 December 2022.
Royal Park Salvage Pty Ltd was sentenced in the South Australian Employment Tribunal on 25 February 2025 following a SafeWork SA prosecution. The company was charged with breaching section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act over its failure to:
In this case, Royal Park Salvage was engaged to demolish a residential property, which involved removing a number of trees from the front yard of the property, which were underneath a 415V powerline. Despite a ‘spotter’ for the excavation work failing to arrive, the operator – who had worked for the company for 25 years – proceeded with the removal of the shrubs.
Subsequently, the excavator made contact with the overhead powerlines, severing one of them. The operator was unaware of the incident until he was alerted by a nearby resident. SA Power Networks and emergency services attended the property to make the area safe.
SafeWork SA also attended to began an investigation, issuing the company with two Improvement Notices before commencing a prosecution.
In handing down his judgment, Deputy President Lieschke found Royal Park Salvage’s “existing safety management system was grossly inadequate”.
“The result is that an operator was allowed to take serious risks of suffering extreme harm from having to work near live powerlines,” Deputy President Lieschke wrote
“The known risk of death or serious injury from downing a live powerline was luckily not realised with no one injured, although there was significant property damage and supply interruptions to many neighbours.
“However, it is the risk of injury and not the occurrence of an actual injury that is the main consideration.”
He recorded a conviction against Royal Park Salvage Pty Ltd, fined them $140,000, and ordered they pay a Victims of Crime Levy of $424 and a contribution of $1210 towards SafeWork SA’s legal costs.
This case underscores the potential for a tragic outcome for the excavator operator and serves as a cautionary reminder to all contractors working near live powerlines. The company did not implement a safe work system, putting its worker at risk of electrocution.
Despite repeated warnings about the dangers of unsafe practices near overhead powerlines, SafeWork SA has issued 12 statutory notices across nine worksites since July last year.
