NSW – Mining deaths and exposure to risks leads to large fines
The death of two workers and injuries to others has led to large fines for a number of mining companies, contractors and employees. They include:
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$800,000 in fines for two companies over a worker’s death, where each assumed the other would control risks
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a quarry company and quarry manager being fined $214,500 and $21,450 respectively after a dump truck driver was killed when he lost control of the vehicle
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$300,000 fines to companies after workers suffered finger crush injuries and bruising when an elevated work platform collided with a shovel bucket
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maximum permissible fines of $110,000 for two companies, after a worker suffered serious eye injuries. The Magistrate assessed the penalties at $200,000.
Many of the prosecutions relate to contractors. More – click here and go to p. 9.
NT – Falling death from ute leads to $60,000 fine
A cattle station owner has been fined $60,000 after an employee riding in the back of a ute fell from it and died. Had the offence occurred after 1 July 2008, the company would have faced a maximum penalty of $650,000. More.
QLD - Company fined $65,000 over workplace drowning
An engineering company has been fined $65,000 over the drowning of a worker. He was pinned underneath a pump after his pontoon capsized. More.
QLD - $40K fine for worker’s leg injury
A young labourer’s fractured leg from a rollover has led to a construction company being fined $40,000. The court deemed the company did not do a site risk assessment or provide adequate training. More.
SA – $60,000 fines for three companies
Unsafe work practices and lack of machine guarding has led to fines for three SA companies. More.
SA - Packaging company fined for two hand injuries in four days
A packaging company has been convicted and fined nearly $50,000 over two incidents in which employees suffered serious hand injuries. In each case, the workers' hands were trapped in unguarded machinery. The Magistrate also ordered the company to give copies of his decision to its employees. The company has previously been convicted for a similar offence. More.
TAS – Toe amputations leads to $20,000 fine
A company has been convicted and fined $20,000 after a worker’s toes were amputated when a forklift tine fell on his foot. The safety bolts had been removed. More – click here and go to p. 34.
VIC – Collapsing floor in truck leads to $210K costs
A large transport company has been convicted and fined $170,000, plus $41,000 costs, after a truck driver suffered serious injuries when a suspended floor collapsed on him. The company now operates under Comcare but came under the Victorian workers compensation scheme when the incident happened. It has two previous convictions. More.
VIC – $145K fine and seventh prosecution for food manufacturer
A food manufacturer has been convicted and fined $145,000 over a fitter’s thumb amputation. He believed the machine on which he was working had been isolated, but it was on a manual setting. It is the company’s seventh conviction since 1983. More.
VIC – Ten charges, conviction and $135K fine for chemical burns
A fireproof clothing business has been fined $135,000 over two incidents involving corrosive chemicals. In the first incident, a worker became blind in one eye after a chemical splash and had to have the eye removed. The incident was not reported to WorkSafe. The second incident occurred six weeks later and led to facial burns to another worker. The company is now in receivership. More.
VIC – Bullying-related suicide leads to convictions
Four individuals have been convicted and fined a total of $115,000, and a company fined $110,000, over the bullying of a worker who later killed herself. The employer knew the bullying was occurring. More.
WorkSafe is prosecuting at least two other serious cases of bullying and investigating many more. It is conducting seminars to prevent and manage bullying – see Other news. Guides on managing bullying are available.
VIC – Council agrees to enforceable undertaking for bullying
A shire council has entered into a court-enforceable undertaking to address bullying. The undertaking requires the council to:
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provide training and information to community stakeholders, staff and other local councils
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publish an industry magazine article outlining its safety failings
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have its anti-bullying strategies approved by WorkSafe, audit them each year and report the results to WorkSafe
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acknowledge its failings and publish its OHS performance results in its annual report,
amongst other things. More.
VIC – Tool manufacturer prosecuted for inadequate information
Failure to provide adequate safety information has led to a conviction and $80,000 fine for a tool manufacturer. A router was being operated at nearly twice its maximum safe speed when it broke, hitting a worker in the chest and killing her. The tool was not marked with, and no information was provided about, a maximum operating speed. More.
VIC - Director fined $25K over unguarded shredder
A company director has been convicted and fined $25,000, and his company $50,000, after a worker’s hand was caught in an unguarded meat shredder, causing finger amputations. More.
WA – Loss of arm leads to $100K costs for brick company
A brick making company has been fined $70,000 plus $30,000 costs after a worker’s arm and shoulder were torn from his body by a material conveyor machine. Guarding was very ad hoc and there was no emergency stop button. Guards were fitted soon after the incident. More.
WA - Timber company fined over hand injury
A WA-based timber miller has been fined $60,000 after a worker’s hand was caught in machinery. WorkSafe deemed that a time-delay mechanism or a key-lock system could have prevented the incident. More.
WA – Failure to maintain plant leads to brain damage, $60K fine
A Broome resort has been fined $60,000 after an employee fell 6.5 m from a self-propelled elevating work platform (EWP). The EWP was in poor condition and independent experts concluded it could not be used safely. The worker suffered permanent brain injuries and is now unable to work. More.
WA – $40K fine for loss of finger
A hay baling company has been fined $40,000 after a worker’s finger was amputated. The worker was operating a baling machine and didn’t press the emergency stop before trying to remove a jammed bale. WorkSafe deemed that, even though workers had been instructed to stop the machine before removing jammed bales, the system of work was not safe enough. There had been two similar incidents previously. More.
NZ – Fatality leads to $140K in costs for waste company
A $60,000 fine and $80,000 in reparations have been imposed on a waste company after an employee was hit by a vehicle while collecting rubbish. He later died. More.
NZ – Crushing deaths leads to heavy fines
Following the death of a worker who was crushed in conveying equipment, a building supplies company has been fined $54,000 and ordered to pay $76,000 in reparations. More.
A plastics manufacturer has also been fined over a crushing death, where safety mechanisms had been overridden. Other safety mechanisms and guards at the company had either been overridden or removed. The company was fined $85,000; it has already paid more than $200,000 to the worker's family. More.
NZ - ATV rollover leads to death; $130K+ costs for employer
A honey manuafacturer has been fined $78,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $60,000 following the death of a worker. The all terrain vehicle (ATV) on which he was riding rolled over, killing him. He had not used one before and was not wearing a helmet. More.
NZ – $67K costs for adventure company after wall climbing accident
A climbing company has been fined $50,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $17,000 over a wall climbing incident. A 13 year old student fell nearly 9 m while rock climbing, fracturing her ankle and pelvis. Charges were laid under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, for failing to ensure its customers weren’t harmed. More.
