Bayliss, Mark Geoffrey
Deceased
Mark Geoffrey Bayliss
Demographics
47y, male
Date of death
2009-05-20
Finding date
2015-04-24
Cause of death
massive haemorrhage due to a tear to the aorta sustained from blunt force chest injury from the aluminium privacy screen
AI-generated summary
A 47-year-old commercial realtor was fatally struck by an aluminium privacy screen dislodged from a 22-storey apartment building during severe weather (wind gusts of 96 km/h). The screen was inadequately fixed to the balcony with four 5.37mm stainless steel batten screws instead of the intended 12mm bolts. The critical failure in the certification process was that the engineer (Laurie Oar) was asked retroactively to certify screens already installed without being informed of design variations at level 22. The manufacturer (Aluminium Balustrades) failed to consult the engineer before approving an alternative fixing on site, instead shifting responsibility to the builder. Poor documentation, time pressure, and lack of communication between parties contributed to inadequate fixings being installed. The coroner found the death was preventable had proper engineering approval been sought for the amended design before installation.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- inadequate fixing selection (4 x 5.37mm batten screws instead of 12mm bolts)
- failure to obtain engineer approval before installing alternative fixings
- inadequate design documentation and shop drawings
- inadequate certification inspection by structural engineer
- engineer not informed of design variations at level 22
- poor communication between manufacturer and engineer
- lack of quality control systems in design and installation
- time pressure on installation schedule
- responsibility shifting between parties regarding design approval
Coroner's recommendations
- Ensure proper engineering design and certification processes are in place prior to installation, not retroactively after construction
- Require clear, comprehensive documentation of design drawings with proper specification of fixings before installation
- Establish mandatory communication protocols between manufacturers/installers and structural engineers regarding design variations
- Implement quality control systems to review shop drawings by engineers prior to fabrication and installation
- Ensure all site modifications to approved designs are reviewed and certified by the structural engineer before implementation
- Require detailed records and documentation of site inspections, including specific identification of which variations were inspected
- Clarify contractual responsibilities to prevent responsibility-shifting between parties regarding engineering approval of design changes
- Provide detailed information on certificates certifying structural elements including scope of work and documents relied upon
Further listening
Coronial podcast — Episode 21The Coronial podcast is an independent production unrelated to this website. Despite sharing the same name, the two projects operate separately and have no editorial connection. The author of coronial.com.au has no input on the content of this podcast.
Full text
Related cases
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction —