Finding into death of Sanel Mujezinovic

Contributing factors

• Metal fatigue cracking in king post of concrete boom
• Failure to conduct strip-down inspection of boom turret assembly
• Periodic inspection requirements in 2019 Australian Standard not mandating disassembly to inspect critical internal components
• Discretionary approach allowing competent person to omit strip-down inspection without outward signs of damage
• Malfunctioning hour meter preventing accurate determination of inspection frequency requirements
• Lack of documented maintenance history and inspection rationale
• Equipment operated in unsafe manner without adequate preventive maintenance

Coroner's recommendations

1. WorkSafe Victoria should revise and update the Concrete Pumping Industry Standard 2004 to reflect the contents of Australian Standard 2550.15-2019
2. In revising the Industry Standard, WorkSafe Victoria should give consideration to introducing more stringent requirements for strip-down inspection of concrete pumps to improve identification of issues with internal components before catastrophic malfunction
3. WorkSafe Victoria should introduce a regulatory requirement that the hour meter on concrete pumping equipment must be in good working order, and that operating equipment with a faulty hour meter would be contrary to regulatory requirements