HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Subject Index
Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-19 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

SAFEWORK SA

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:06): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police representing the Minister for Industrial Relations questions in relation to SafeWork SA.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: Recently I was informed of an incident which occurred in mid-2006, whereby a dog fell down the lift shaft in an occupied building at Port Adelaide. I am advised that the accident occurred after an old lift in a building was reinstated for use by a well known multinational elevator company. In these sorts of circumstances I am advised that SafeWork SA usually provides advice as to the level of work required before allowing the reinstatement of a lift.

The lift in question had old, manually operated doors. I am advised that a person and their dog used the lift to get to the top floor of the building, closing the doors of the lift behind them when they reached that floor. The lift was then apparently called to the bottom floor by somebody else in the building. When the person on the top floor returned to the lift in order to return to the bottom floor they were unaware that the lift had been called to the lower floor by another person.

My understanding is that when this does occur and the lift has been called to a different floor, the landing doors are supposed to lock so that nobody can enter. However, in this instance that did not happen, and the person on the top floor proceeded to open the landing doors. I am advised that the dog walked ahead of its owner, only to fall in the lift shaft. Unfortunately, the dog was killed. However, this could have ended much more tragically, had the person accompanying the dog also stepped forward only to find that there was, in fact, no lift there.

I am advised that this incident occurred as a result of the door locking system failure mentioned above, and that the contractor responsible for the maintenance of the lift sacked two employees over the incident. As I mentioned earlier, this accident is said to have occurred in mid-2006. I am advised that SafeWork SA is yet to take any action against either the owner of the building or the lift maintenance contractor in relation to the incident. My questions are:

1. Is the minister aware of the situation outlined above?

2. Can the minister advise whether SafeWork SA provided any advice as to the level of maintenance required before allowing the reinstatement of the lift in question?

3. Can the minister advise whether any action has, in fact, been taken by SafeWork SA with respect to the incident, and, if not, why not?

4. Will the minister seek further information from SafeWork SA regarding this incident?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:09): I will refer the Hon. Mr Darley's important questions to the Minister for Industrial Relations in the other place and bring back a reply.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT