Shoring Co fined $170,000 after traffic controller falls into excavation
20 Oct 2026•BlueSafe Team•Source: SafeWork NSW
Shoring Co Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined a total of $170,000 in the Industrial Court of NSW following a SafeWork NSW prosecution over an incident in which a traffic controller fell into an excavation pit.
The incident occurred on 26 September 2022 during concrete pouring operations. A concrete pump malfunctioned, unexpectedly spraying concrete, and a traffic controller fell into an excavation pit that was approximately 10 metres deep at its deepest point.
Shoring Co pleaded guilty to two offences under section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. They concerned failures to ensure the health and safety of workers under section 19(1) and other persons under section 19(2).
The full judgment is available on the NSW Caselaw website. The company has the right to appeal against the sentence.
SafeWork NSW reminded businesses of their duty to provide safe workplaces for employees and contractors. It noted that controls for falls from heights and work around moving plant and fixed machinery are well known, and that identifying and assessing risks and implementing safe systems of work are key to reducing workplace harm.
Business owners and workers can access resources to help manage risks associated with plant, machinery and equipment. Workers with workplace health and safety concerns can contact SafeWork NSW anonymously on 13 10 50 or through the Speak up Save lives website.
How Blue Safe can help: Our free SWMS tool can help you prepare a safe work method statement for high-risk construction work involving excavation, plant or falls. Create a free SWMS