TWO workers have been sacked from Santos in Whyalla after photos surfaced of them planking on top of the plant's smokestacks, where they risked a 60m fall.

Their actions were viewed as extremely dangerous and they were immediately sacked from the plant.

A response from Santos was not available last night.

Employers across the nation have cracked down on the planking act, with dismissals reported across the country.

The act involves a person lying face down on an object and keeping their body rigid while being photographed.

It began as an internet craze and is being performed in schools and workplaces throughout the country.

A Brisbane man died last week while planking after he fell from a 5cm wide balcony railing on the seventh floor of an apartment building. Sam Newman also caused controversy this week after photographs emerged of him planking on the balcony railing of his 40th floor Port Melbourne apartment.

Despite the danger of the act, the Planking Australia Facebook page continues to attract followers and last night had 149,425 fans.