A KEY cattle loading ramp at Glenburnie’s Mount Gambier and District Sale Yards remains in lock-down amid ongoing safety concerns flowing from cattle transport operators.
Ramp C – displaying an “out of order sign” – has already resulted in one livestock handler being seriously injured.
It is understood the Victorian-based livestock transport operator – who was hospitalised from his injuries – has sold his business because he can no longer work due to his injuries.
While council has installed a new safety gate that acts as an emergency barrier, handlers are reporting serious flaws in the design.
The Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria initially raised the red-flag over the 40-year-old loading ramp.
The issue has been at the centre of a South Australian Ombudsman investigation, which resulted in a string of findings and recommendations released last week.
Grant District Council acting chief executive officer Jane Fetherstonhaugh – who ordered Ramp C be closed – said she had “no update” on the matter this week.
Transporters association spokesperson Mick Debenham said yesterday safety must be paramount given a number of its members regularly attended the Glenburnie facility.
He revealed the association’s delegates were scheduled to meet next week with Grant District Council to canvass the issue and broker a solution moving forward.
Mr Debenham warned a solution must be found given the “potential of death” livestock transport operators face working with unpredictable livestock.
“We understand council has locked out the ramp,” he said.
“The safety gate is springing open under pressure from livestock.”
Mr Debenham said the association had flagged concerns over two separate issues; the handling of the matter by SafeWork SA and the ongoing problems with the new safety gate.
He revealed the ramp had no safety gate before the recent upgrade.
But the problem facing council was the new safety gate was fitted to ageing infrastructure, which meant “it has been difficult to fit.”
Revealing council was working through the problem, Mr Debenham said SafeWork SA should had ensured the issue was resolved in a speedy manner.
He said it appeared the safety watchdog did not understand the potential consequences to livestock transport operators when loading/unloading livestock.
“SafeWork do not understand the risk,” Mr Debenham said.
Regarding the locked-down ramp, he said there were two other functional ramps at the Glenburnie saleyards.
“These ramps are not so easy and quick, but our members can still get the job done,” Mr Debenham said.
He said the association had also written letters of support for council’s funding applications for the saleyards.
SA Ombudsman Wayne Lines has recommended the state’s workplace safety regulator adopt new measures after it failed to conduct a “thorough” probe into safety complaints at the Glenburnie saleyards.
In his report, Mr Lines said an investigation into Grant District Council – which owns and operates the selling centre – was “not necessary.”
The complaint stems from a worker being injured as well as a number of near misses at the major regional livestock exchange.
SafeWork closed the improvement notice where the modifications to the ramps was “nowhere complete” despite an “accident waiting to happen.”
“In my view, the file should not have been closed until SafeWork was satisfied that the modifications to Ramp C were completed,” Mr Lines said.
“In my view the agency acted in the manner that was wrong.”
Mr Wayne handed down a number of recommendations, including the need for SafeWork SA to provide a written apology to the transporters association for “failures in the conduct of the investigation.”
He has also called on SafeWork SA to create a new agency complaint handling policy that “fully complies” with the Australian standard.
SafeWork has now been directed to provide a report to the Ombudsman about what actions that have “commenced or comments.”
Mr Lines also sent a copy of the report to the State Treasurer, which is the relevant minister.
