PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.

The South Australian Industrial Court has fined Michael Carter, director of United Cranes and Rigging and manager of United Precast, $1,750 plus legal fees after a workplace incident that occurred at Dry Creek in June 2011.

Carter was prosecuted for failure to take reasonable care to avoid adversely affecting the health or safety of other persons while supervising the movement of precast concrete panels with a crane.

The Court heard that a precast panel was being installed under the supervision of Carter when the lifting clutch, which secured the concrete panel to the crane, released. The panel fell and crushed the cabin of an unoccupied truck on site.

Although no injuries occurred, Bryan Russell, executive director of SafeWork SA, says far too often worker safety may be compromised by inattention or poor planning.

"We must never become complacent in monitoring and managing workplace safety procedures, particularly when using cranes and lifting gear to move loads."