Management and leadership in lifting operations carry a heavy responsibility – the safety of every lift rests on their shoulders.
When something goes wrong in a lifting operation, it is often leadership decisions (or lack thereof) that come under scrutiny. In Australia, recent incidents have starkly illustrated how a manager’s actions (or inaction) can result in dire consequences for workers and serious legal liability for those in charge.
This article explores why accountability, decision-making, site leadership, and culture are so critical in lifting operations, and how fostering a strong safety culture – with the support of LEEA membership, helps leaders set and uphold high safety standards.
The weight of accountability in lifting operations
In high-risk activities like crane lifts or rigging, leaders must set the tone for safety. Under Australia’s Model Work Health and Safety Act, company officers are legally obligated to ensure their operations prevent harm, or face personal liability. Every state and territory now enforces industrial manslaughter laws, with penalties up to 25 years’ imprisonment and fines reaching $20 million. In short: if leadership overlooks unsafe lifting practices, and tragedy follows, accountability lies at the top.
One example from New South Wales highlights this risk. The director of a marine construction firm ordered workers to lift a sunken yacht without any proper planning. When told the crane operator was unlicensed, he dismissed the concern. The lift failed, the mast collapsed, and a crew member was killed. The company admitted safety breaches, and the director was prosecuted for failing to exercise due diligence. The court described his approach as “dangerous and cavalier”, no risk assessment, no licence checks, and no consideration of crane limits.
When leadership tolerates shortcuts, the consequences are legal and moral.
A similar case unfolded in Canberra. A mobile crane overturned while lifting a generator, killing a rigger. Investigations found cost pressure led to using a smaller crane in superlift mode, without proper instruction. Multiple parties were charged: the crane operator, the subcontractor, its director, and principal contractor executives. Fines totalled more than $450,000, with a suspended sentence for the operator. The court stressed that everyone in the chain of command has a duty to act, specialist knowledge doesn’t excuse silence.
These issues go beyond construction. In 2021, a South Australian manufacturing company was fined a record $840,000 after an apprentice died under a falling steel tank. A gantry crane’s hoist cable had snapped, twice before. Despite warnings, management failed to act. Unsafe practices, like walking under suspended loads, continued. A plant manager was also fined $12,000 personally. The court cited a “culture of complacency” where leadership failed to enforce safety norms. When that happens, disaster is not a matter of if, but when.
Building a culture of safety, training, and diligence
What’s the common thread in the above incidents? In each, management decisions and safety culture (or lack thereof) directly contributed to the outcome. Lifting operations are complex and inherently risky, but they can be performed safely if rigorous procedures and a strong safety culture are in place.
It is up to managers and supervisors to cultivate this culture. That means never allowing untrained or uncertified personnel to operate cranes or heavy lifting equipment, no matter how convenient it may seem in the moment. It means insisting on detailed lift plans, risk assessments, and toolbox talks before every non-routine lift. It means enforcing that nobody stands under a suspended load and that equipment is routinely inspected and maintained.
Essentially, leaders must ensure every lift is “planned, supervised and carried out in a safe manner,” and that all personnel involved are “suitably trained”. These are fundamental tenets of safe lifting, echoed in LEEA’s own Code of Practice.
Crucially, leaders should encourage knowledge sharing and reporting. In a positive safety culture, workers feel comfortable flagging concerns (“this shackle looks worn” or “I’m not confident in this rigging plan”) without fear of repercussion.
Open communication allows lessons from near-misses or minor incidents to be shared and acted upon, preventing future accidents. Diligence is rewarded, for example, halting a lift to recheck calculations is seen as responsible, not as delaying the job.
When management demonstrates that safety overrides schedule or cost, it empowers everyone on site to do the right thing. Training is a constant in such a culture: leaders invest in regular refreshers, certification programs, and competency assessments. This is not just to avoid legal liability – it’s about sending every rigger, dogman, and crane operator home safe each day.
As one safety bulletin bluntly advised, “ignorance in relation to lifting can result in severe consequences, so managers need to pay serious attention”. In other words, there is no excuse for not knowing and following industry best practices, and it’s management’s job to make sure everyone from top to bottom knows what safe practice looks like.
The LEEA Gold Standard: Supporting leaders in safety
Building a strong safety culture takes consistent effort, and that’s where LEEA membership adds real value. As the global authority on lifting safety, LEEA equips leaders with the tools to uphold high standards across their operations. Its Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Lifting Equipment (COPSULE) is a freely available, regularly updated guide that distils expert advice and legislative requirements across all lifting equipment types and industries.
Whether managing lifts in construction, mining, or logistics, COPSULE gives leaders a proven framework to benchmark their practices.
But LEEA is more than a code, membership signifies a commitment to excellence. Member companies are audited to verify they meet LEEA’s standards. The logo signals to clients and regulators that a business runs safe, competent, and compliant lifting operations.
Members also gain access to expert technical support, training, certifications, and a global network of peers. This helps leadership teams stay ahead of regulatory change, address emerging risks, and continuously improve lifting safety culture.
Sources:
• Workplace Law Blog – Court finds sole director failed to exercise due diligence in fatality prosecution (July 28, 2025)workplacelaw.com.auworkplacelaw.com.auworkplacelaw.com.au
• Holding Redlich – Crane contractor sentenced in workplace fatality (Apr. 4, 2022)holdingredlich.comholdingredlich.com
• Motor Trade Association SA – WHS Wakeup Call (Nov. 22, 2024)members.mtasant.com.aumembers.mtasant.com.au
• LEEA News – Don’t take the risk: know products (Alex Beltrao, LEEA)leeaint.comleeaint.comleeaint.com
• LEEA End User Guidance (Global) – COPSULE and safety requirements (LEEA, 2021)leea.com.auleea.com.au