LANSKEY, the construction company contracted to build this McDonald’s outlet claim they have “earned a reputation for continually delivering high quality outcomes in our health and safety performance on client projects” (see http://www.lanskey.com.au/safety-record.html).

Why then do we have this happening in Tecoma?

There have been multiple concerns raised over the quality and safety of these Lanskey built hoardings, despite a council contracted surveyor signing off on their completion weeks ago.

On Friday night, at approx 7pm, a 10 metre section of heavy timber hoarding and concrete foundations dislodged in high winds, and was leaning dangerously over the footpath and heavy traffic. At 7.45 the SES attended. As they had a high volume of call outs last night, they left the site in good faith that the Lanskey Health and Safety Officer and Foreman would properly resolve the situation safely. They didn’t. Instead of putting an emergency plan into action and calling workers to the site to undertake urgent repairs to the hoarding, by contractors trained to install hoardings, they called Bernie Rafferty, of BR Demolitions.

Bernie arrived on site hours later, after 9.00 pm, and proceeded to start up the excavator. Witnesses, including neighbours, reported seeing him driving dangerously around the site in complete darkness, except for the small headlight on his machine, as the site floodlighting had been switched off (see footage below). We assume that the lighting was switched off in order to avoid alerting the public to the even greater danger posed by the unstable and unsafe hoardings. Then without warning, he swung the arm of the excavator out over the top of the hoarding and footpath and smashed the scoop into the ground. Neighbours reported hearing a loud smash and when they came out to the street, they saw a chaotic scene, with people yelling and panicked security guards stopping traffic on the busy highway to avoid the moving arm of the excavator. Next Bernie pulled the scoop back into the hoarding in an attempt to drag the hoarding back to upright. In the process the teeth of the scoop pierced the hoarding, which there is ample photographic evidence of, plus passerby and motorist witnesses.

Next Lanskey and Bernie then made the ‘executive decision’ to park the machine as close as possible to the hoardings, and with a muddled collection of flimsy ropes, and nylon straps, attempted to use the machine to anchor the hoardings in the hope this will prevent them from falling over again.
At midnight, a worksafe inspector attended the site. Much to our disbelief, even though it was dark and gale force winds, they deemed the site safe and left. The situation described here still exists.
SHAME on LANSKEY and BERNIE RAFFERTY for your blatant disrespect and disregard of the people in this community. Your recklessness is an absolute disgrace. Did you learn NOTHING from the tragic Grocon wall collapse earlier this year where three innocent people needlessly died because of the carelessness of a few? The people of Tecoma have to walk right along this wall to move through the town, including both the primary, and High school students. This is an absolute disaster waiting to happen.

Please until further notice, do NOT be complacent around this wall. Protest on either end, but NOT in front.

It is not properly secured.Call Lanskey on (03) 9684 1300 or email Marcus Van Gulick at marcusvangulick@lanskey.com.au or lanskey@lanskey.com.au and DEMAND this gets repaired properly. You may also wish to ask why Lanskey’s Health and Safety Officer and Foreman allowed such dangerous activity to take place and why they have avoided alerting the community to the very serious risk to public safety posed by these unstable and unsafe hoardings?