Engineering firm fined $250,000 after excavation and basement works collapse
The Case
WorkSafe Victoria v Ranjan Fernando Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd (2020)
In 2015, engineering firm Ranjan Fernando Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd (company) certified structural drawings for a mixed commercial and residential development. The drawings included plans for the construction of a two-level underground car park that failed to include a retention system for the excavation.
Five months after the company certified the drawings, the excavation and basement works collapsed after heavy rain, which put nearby dwellings at risk of also collapsing into the pit. As a result, nearby residents were required to evacuate.
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