QLD - $460,000 costs against employer over slip; staff complaints ignored
Failure to act on staff complaints about a slippery roadhouse floor has led to an employer being ordered by pay more than $460,000 to an employee who slipped and fell. The employer deemed that slip testing was too expensive. View court decision.
QLD – $50,000 fine for injury - no risk assessment or work procedure
Lack of risk assessments and work procedures have contributed to a $50,000 fine for a Mackay company, after a worker was pinned by equipment. He suffered crush injuries. The fine was reduced because of an early guilty plea. More.
QLD – Worker’s death leads to $50,000 fine for manufacturer
A manufacturing company has been fined $50,000 after a worker died when a wheel exploded off its rim. Workplace Health and Safety deemed the company had failed to identify the foreseeable hazard and that risk controls were lacking. More.
SA – $76K fine and $20K compensation order for mining company
A mining company has been fined $76,000, and ordered to pay $20,000 compensation to a killed worker's family. The worker was hit by a 75 kg object that fell from a crane. More.
VIC - Second reckless endangerment conviction; $280K fine
A Geelong printer is the second company to be convicted of recklessly endangering its workers. The company was fined $280,000, after a worker’s fingers were crushed in a printing press. Managers had emailed staff not to override guarding, but this was not enforced. After the incident, new guarding costing $10,000 was installed. More.
VIC - Extra conditions placed on MHF
WorkSafe has imposed new conditions on a major hazard facility licence following ongoing health and safety incidents since it was last licensed. The additional conditions include addressing causes of incidents and reducing OHS risks. More.
VIC - $70,000 fine for customer injury
An adventure store has been fined $70,000 for failing to ensure the safety of a member of the public. A boy fell from a climbing wall, injuring himself. WorkSafe found that the equipment had not been installed safely and the company failed to adequately train workers on equipment maintenance and inspection. More.
VIC – Forklift/pedestrian clashes leads to $60,000 fine
Failure to keep pedestrians and forklifts separated has led to a conviction and $60,000 fine for a cold storage company. Although walkways were marked, workers weren’t using them and forklifts were crossing over them. WorkSafe said ‘lines on the ground’ are not enough. A worker suffered fractures and wounds after being hit by a forklift. More.
VIC – Company and director convicted for OHS risks and ignoring notices
A construction company director who continued to expose workers to safety risks has been convicted and fined. He ignored five WorkSafe notices, including two stop work prohibition notices related to fall and electrocution risks. The company was convicted and fined $96,500 and the director convicted and fined $17,000.
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VIC – Third conviction for workplace attack
A third worker has been convicted and fined $5,000, plus costs, for deliberately setting a co-worker alight. This follows the conviction of two other men involved in the attack, which caused burns and a week-long hospitalisation. The company wasn’t prosecuted as it had clearly indicated that bullying and pranks weren’t acceptable and had disciplined all three workers for a previous incident. More.
WA - Worker fined over crane collapse
A crane operator has been fined $8,000 after endangering himself and others while operating a crane. He set up the crane with one of its supports on soft sand and the front jack on a pile of bricks. The crane collapsed, narrowly missing people. More.
WA - Ignoring notice leads to $6,000 fine for restaurant owners
Owners of a Perth restaurant have been fined for failing to guard or dispose of a dough mixer, after receiving an Improvement Notice. More.
NZ - $100K+ in costs to timber company for forklift death
A forklift-related death has led to a $40,000 fine and reparation orders of more than $67,000 for a timber company. The worker was supervising the loading of his truck and trailer to ensure that it adhered to Ministry of Transport requirements, when he was hit by a forklift. More.
NZ - Hazard identification essential for safe workplaces: DoL
Lack of hazard identification and risk control has led to a worker suffering serious injuries from an arc flash. His employer was fined $39,000 and ordered to pay $10,000 in reparations. The apprentice electrician, who was working alone, cut an 11,000 volt live cable. More.
NZ – Company and project manager fined over frame collapse
A company and self-employed project manager have been fined $25,000 and $47,600 respectively, and ordered to pay reparations of $23,000 each, after two workers were injured. A steel frame on a building collapsed onto a scissor lift, throwing the workers to the ground. DoL deemed that bracing could have prevented the incident. More.
NZ – Safety can't be subcontracted out
Companies can’t absolve themselves of safety responsibilities when they subcontract, DoL has reiterated. This follows the fall of a subcontractor through a skylight and prosecution of the two companies who engaged him. They have incurred costs of more than $30,000. More.
