1. White Card Update: Construction Worker Injured in
Detention Centre Breakout
A Perth construction worker was injured recently after 2 escaping teenagers threw a brick at the
worker. The teenagers were detainees at a detention facility for youth.
Authorities have since employed extra security at the detention centre after the 2 detainees
injured the construction worker in their escape. One of the teenagers was rearrested while one
still remains at large, following the incident last Thursday.
Police began searching for the youths and found one of them hiding in the roof of a house. He
later fell through the ceiling and was arrested by the police.
The 2 detainees struck the construction worker, who was working on the construction of an
expansion of the facility with a brick before stealing his utility vehicle and smashing their way out
through a roller door. New security measures have been put in place to stop incidents such as
this one from occurring again.
The Community and Public Sector Union/Civil Service Association has since negotiated better
security systems at the Banksia Hill Detention Centre following the breakout of the two
teenagers last Thursday.
Some of the safety measures introduced include employing the Department of Corrective
Services’ Emergency Support Group, being on site around the clock and will now accompany
construction workers and their vehicles, to avoid another incident such as this one. A new 3.6m
high security fence is being constructed around the construction site which will be completed
within 2 to 3 weeks.
It is surprising that authorities did not act sooner in securing the detention centre and the
construction site. Both elements are dangerous on their own, but when combined are twice as
dangerous. Detention centres house criminals and troubled youth which require constant
attention and monitoring. While construction sites also present a wealth of hazards that
members of the public can be exposed to, if they inadvertently or purposely enter the
construction site. That is why fencing around construction sites is so important.
This post by WorkplaceOHS.com.au has more detail on the incident:
The breakout of two teenagers from the Banksia Hill Detention Centre in Canning Vale,
Western Australia, yesterday has prompted a union to raise concern over the safety and
security of people working at the site.
The Community and Public Sector Union/Civil Service Association outlined the incident
in the context of upgrades being undertaken at the centre:
A construction worker was allegedly struck with a brick and two teenagers smashed their
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2. way through a roller door with his utility in the daring escape.
The latest incident follows others where detainees have accessed the building site,
thrown loose bricks at staff and even sat on the roof of one of the buildings.
The Canning Vale centre is being expanded to cater for the merger with the Rangeview
Remand Centre in Murdoch.
Girls from Rangeview will be relocated on 1 September, with the boys to follow on 15
September, paving the way for controversial multi-national company Serco to establish a
young adults (18–24 year olds) facility at Rangeview.
CPSU/CSA WA secretary Toni Walkington said members have been concerned for
months that the security around the construction site is inadequate and that the
expansion is being rushed to ‘suit the $171million, 15-year deal the state government
has struck with Serco for the Rangeview site’.
‘The Juvenile Custodial Officers at these centres have suffered from serious attacks
and are currently campaigning to be included in mandatory sentencing laws because
working in detention centres is a dangerous job,’ Walkington said.
‘The safety and security of everyone at the site including detainees and construction
staff should never be compromised but this proves it has been.’
‘It has been openly said there is no alternative date and that the relocation must take
place in September.’
‘When a previous unit was commissioned at Banksia Hill it was not functioning properly
and members fear it could be the same again’.
‘The last time they got asked to go operational well before it was ready staff and
detainees had to endure unacceptable conditions, including failing toilet systems.’
‘If the building process is not complete and more people are at the facility it will not take
much under a pressure-cooker situation for something similar to happen again.’
Source:
http://www.workplaceohs.com.au/injury-management/insurance/workcover-fraudsters-se
ntenced-and-more
White Card Update: Construction Worker Injured in Detention Centre Breakout
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