NSW - Bullying victim awarded $500,000
A Sydney worker who was subjected to “sustained intimidation, bullying and harassment” by her supervisor has been awarded more than $500,000 in damages. She now suffers from an anxiety disorder, some elements of post-traumatic stress disorder and other health issues. She is unlikely to work again. More.
QLD - $80,000 fines for forklift injuries
Two companies have been fined a total of more than $80,000 after workers were hit by reversing forklifts in unrelated incidents. Case 1. Case 2. WHSQ comments.
QLD - Quad bike death leads to $60,000 fine
An employer has been fined $60,000 plus costs after a 19 year old worker died in a quad bike incident. He was not wearing a helmet. More.
QLD – Verbal instructions not an adequate risk control; $30K fine
A worker’s fractured arm has led to a $30,000 fine for a construction company. The company had identified the hazard of a rotating winch handle, but the only risk control was verbal instructions. More.
SA – Worker fined after explosion from cigarette lighter
A worker has been convicted and fined more than $4,000 after causing an explosion. He lit a cigarette lighter near workers who were painting the inside of a pressure vessel, causing the paint fumes to ignite. Two people were injured, one with severe burns. More.
SA – Conviction and $24K fine for forklift trip
A transport company has been convicted and fined $24,000, after a delivery driver tripped over the tines of a forklift. Forklifts and pedestrians were required to use a common doorway. More.
SA - $26,250 fine after metal splinters enter worker’s leg
Metal splinters penetrating a worker’s leg has led to a fine of $26,250 for a materials supplier. It was deemed that the employer failed to provide an appropriate tool for the task and did not adequately control risks. More.
VIC - First reckless endangerment conviction, $800,000 fine
A drilling company and its director have been found responsible for the death of a truck driver and fined more than $800,000. It’s the first company in Victoria to be convicted of recklessly endangering a worker. It was deemed that the company failed to ensure the 21 year old driver was properly trained to operate the truck off-road on a steep slope and did not ensure the truck was in proper working order. More.
VIC – Charities to receive $500K after WorkSafe prosecution
A timber company and its director have been ordered to give $540,000 to charities and emergency services, as part of an OHS prosecution. A worker suffered life-changing injuries, including an arm amputation, after becoming entangled in an unguarded post-peeler. More.
VIC – Directors and company fined again
Two construction company directors have been convicted and fined $60,000 each after a worker died when a floor collapsed. The company has been convicted and fined $350,000. The company and directors have previously been fined when they continued work after the death, in spite of a WorkSafe prohibition notice. The company has now been fined a total of $520,000 and the directors $165,000. More.
VIC - Company fined $130K after crush death
The death of a worker while loading an elevated work platform (EWP) onto a truck has led to the conviction and $130,000 fine for his employer. He had not been trained in loading an EWP. More.
VIC – Government department agrees to enforceable undertaking after students injured
Following the injury of school students from inadequately-guarded machinery, a government department has entered into an enforceable undertaking to improve safety in woodwork, metalwork and automotive classrooms. More.
VIC – Conveyor injuries lead to convictions for four companies
Four companies – two abattoirs and their contract cleaning companies - have been convicted and fined after two cleaners suffered arm injuries from an unguarded conveyor. More.
VIC – Company appeals against fine; fine tripled
A metal fabrication business that appealed against a $25,000 OHS fine has seen it tripled to $75,000. A 16 year old worker lost part of his fingers after being crushed by a press, which did not have an interlock system. More.
VIC – Different languages must be accommodated
WorkSafe has prosecuted a potato farm for failing to ensure a worker with limited English received clear instruction and training. The company was convicted and fined $40,000, after the worker lost control of the machine and hit a truck driver. More.
VIC – Fine for licence testing breaches
A person who issued licences for high risk work without proper assessment has been fined $3,500. The person didn’t do any practical assessment of applicants’ skills in scaffolding, rigging and boom-type elevating work platforms, and gave them the answers for the written assessment. More.
WA - Labour hire companies must ensure safety at host employers
A Perth labour hire company has been fined $30,000 after one of its hired workers died. The worker was riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) without a helmet, which was standard practice at the farm where he was working. He drove into a wire gate and died from his head injuries. More.
WA – Production Manager, Director and company fined over finger amputations
An employee’s finger amputations have led to a company being fined $20,000 and the Director and on-duty Production Manager $1,500 each, plus costs. The interlocking mechanism of a cheese grinder was not operating. A guard was installed after the incident. More.
WA – Forklift/car collision leads to fine
A freight company has been fined $10,000 for failing to ensure a person’s safety, after a forklift hit a customer’s car. A power failure meant that the company couldn’t alert forklift drivers, by radio, of the car’s presence. WorkSafe deemed that the company should have anticipated the possibility of a power failure and put alternative processes in place. More.
WA – Joyriding worker fined $7,000 over forklift injury
A forklift joyride has led to a worker receiving a $5,000 fine, plus $2,000 costs. The worker did not have a forklift licence and had been forbidden by her employer from using it. She took a visitor on a joyride and the visitor suffered a punctured lung and fractured ribs, collarbone and shoulder blade. More.
WA - Fines over edge protection prompt falls warning
Two companies have been fined for failing to provide edge protection on a building site. One of the companies had previously been issued with five improvement notices and three prohibition notices, all related to falls. More.
NZ – Council fined over “preventable” landfill death
A dump truck driver’s death while driving on a temporary road has led to a Council being fined $60,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $50,000. The Department of Labor has said the death could have been prevented by following industry standards on designing temporary roads. More.
NZ – High forklift load leads to collision; $40K costs to employer
A meatworks company has incurred costs of more than $40,000 after a worker was hit from behind by a forklift, suffering a hip and thigh fracture. The forklift driver couldn’t see above the high load on the forklift. More.
