130 workers removed from Kidston hydro project over alleged contamination
Nearly 130 workers have been evacuated from a remote work site in Far North Queensland over food safety concerns after footage emerged of staff being served maggot-riddled meals.
Workers at the Genex Pumped Storage Hydro Project in Kidston were allegedly served moldy and fly-infested food Thursday morning, a day after the first food safety concerns were announced at the site.
The isolated area was more than a three-hour drive from the nearest store, and workers thought the situation was so dire they were considering paying for a helicopter to deliver food.
Instead, 130 workers were suspended from the facility on Friday. The CFMEU has now called on the Queensland government to introduce mandatory living standards and regulate conditions at remote work sites.
“The gross negligence and systemic failures of Genex and ISS are not only a risk to the health of hard-working Australians, but also to the viability of major infrastructure projects such as the Kidston hydropower project,” CFMEU Queensland and NT executive officer Jared Abbott said.
“Major projects fail to be delivered while workers are evacuated due to serious food contamination and appalling sanitary conditions, such as the Kidston hydropower project by ISS and Genex.
“If the Queensland government is serious about productivity, it must immediately introduce minimum living standards for remote workers and stop companies like Genex and ISS making it easy on workers’ health and safety, which is putting workers at risk and currently halting work on the state’s critical infrastructure.”
Electrical Trades Union state organizer Robert Hill said earlier this week there was an intolerable ongoing risk to workers’ health.
“Our members don’t know if the next meal they’re served is going to make them sick. What they’re experiencing is a buffet of pollution – maggots, flies, mold – and this is happening in a remote camp where workers have no alternative food options,” he said.
Late last year, work was stopped on the project due to unacceptable conditions.
Unsafe food standards and unclean housing were among the concerns voiced at the time.
The project is a joint venture between John Holland and McConnell Dowell, who have pledged to increase cleaning staff to ensure standards are met.
A Food Services Audit report was prepared by John Holland and McConnell Dowell in November, but was never completed. However, the partial audit found that food processing practices pose a real and imminent risk to health and safety.
Problems identified included unsafe food handling, poor sanitation, inadequate temperature control and storage, failures in monitoring and record keeping, and lack of effective corrective action.
The workers were sent back to work earlier this week despite union officials saying they had serious and unresolved health issues.
Genex chief operating officer Arran McGhie claimed earlier this week that the first incident was isolated and said no workers had presented to the on-site nurse with gastrointestinal illness or symptoms.
In a statement late Thursday, Genex said it was taking additional steps following “ongoing alleged complaints.”
It was stated that in addition to an audit by the camp operator, a third-party independent audit will be carried out, which will reportedly start next week.
Genex said it would comply with all recommendations from the investigation regarding “all aspects of food safety at the site.”
Genex has been contacted for further comment.
Start your day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
