Failure of fire system during testing

On Tuesday 22/08/2023 a failure of the fire system whilst under test occurred on a building site under construction.

The sole purpose of the test is to ensure the system will not fail under normal operational conditions and is therefore tested above operational pressure.

The failure occurred in the amenities area which accommodates some 200 plus workers.

At the time the only person in the amenities area was the Peggy, who was struck by the gushing water and taken to hospital via ambulance, later released and sent home.

This incident had the potential to be far more catastrophic than that which occurred.

WorkSafe and the PPTEU have long standing guidance on this hazard, including the need to isolate workers from the hazards of system failures under test.

You can read the Alerts here, and read more in our Hazard alert section.