NSW – $297K fines after crane topples onto power lines and house
A crane hire company and its general manager have been fined $297,000, plus costs, after a mobile crane toppled over while moving a spa, bringing down power lines and crashing through a house. The load was heavier than expected, workers did the lift without consulting with the GM and the equipment wasn’t calibrated to ensure the failsafe would work. The company has previously been prosecuted for a similar incident. More.
NSW – Falling loads from forklift lead to spinal injuries; $193,000 in fines
Two companies and a manager have been fined a total of $193,000, plus legal costs, after a pallet fell on workers. One worker suffered a fractured spine. The companies were found to have no safe work practices, risk assessments, training or pedestrian exclusion zones. Supervision was deemed inadequate. More.
NSW – Inappropriate high pressure hose causes blinding; companies fined $155K
The blinding of a worker after a high pressure gas hose fitting came loose has led to fines of $155,000 for two companies. One company installed a hose designed for hydraulics, not high pressure oxygen. An explosion occurred within the hose. That company was fined $95,000. The other company, a welding and fabrication business, was fined $60,000. More.
NSW – Construction fatality leads to $130K fines for company and director
A Coffs Harbour construction company and its director has been fined $137,500, plus WorkCover’s costs, following the death of a worker. He was hit on the head by a 210kg concrete mould. Information, instruction, training and supervision were deemed to be inadequate. More.
NSW - Multiple electric shocks leads to $65K fine
A heavy vehicle hire and haulage company has been fined $65,000, plus WorkCover’s legal costs, after a crane hit overhead power lines. Two workers received electric shocks. More.
QLD - $40K fine for toe amputations
A demolition company has been fined $40,000 after a steel beam fell on a worker’s foot, leading to the amputation of one toe and half of another. More.
QLD – Unlicensed electrical work sees company fined $20,000
A hot water company that was installing electric hot water systems using unlicensed workers has been fined $20,000, plus costs. A home owner alerted authorities. More.
QLD – Contact with live electricity causes burns; employer fined $24,000
Electrical burns to an apprentice who was testing live equipment has led to a $24,000 fine for his employer. The company was charged with failing to conduct its business or undertaking in a way that was electrically safe. More.
SA – Two employers convicted and fined over machine guarding incidents
Two companies have been convicted and fined after workers were injured by inadequately-guarded machinery. In the first incident, a worker suffered broken fingers and partial degloving when his hand contacted a mixer’s rotating blades. The company was fined $30,000. In the second incident, a company was fined $18,750 after a worker’s thumb was caught in a cropping machine. More.
SA – Steelmaker convicted and fined over arc flash incident
A steel manufacturer has been convicted and fined $48,000 over an electrical incident involving an apprentice. During thermal imaging of live switchboards, a switchboard cover contacted live electrical equipment, causing arcing and burns to the worker. Although electrical policies and procedures were in place, there was no safe operating procedure for the task. Instruction, training and PPE were deemed inadequate. More.
SA – Poor traffic management leads to $23K fine
A shower screen manufacturer has been fined nearly $23,000 after a worker was injured as a result of a reversing delivery truck. Although a traffic management system was in place, it hadn’t been adequately implemented or maintained. More.
VIC – Inappropriate use of forklift leads to $80K fine
A hardware company that used a forklift to pull a fence post from the ground has been fined $80,000. A chain connecting the post to the forklift broke, and whipped back to hit a worker, causing multiple injuries. More.
VIC – Contact with power lines leads to burns, $25K fine
A company has been fined $25,000 after a worker suffered third degree burns when his elevated work platform contacted overhead power lines. More.
VIC – Ignoring improvement notices costs thousands
Two caravan makers who ignored safety improvement notices have been fined $8,000 and $5,500. More.
WA – Site supervisor fined $6,000 over tilt-up collapse
A site supervisor has been fined $6,000 after four pre-cast concrete panels fell into a lift shaft. The supervisor instructed workers to remove temporary props without first inspecting to ensure that all structural elements affecting stability were in place. The Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 require this inspection. More.
WA – Injury from unguarded baling machine leads to $50K fines
Two companies have been fined a total of $50,000 after a worker’s arm was drawn into a baling machine. There was no guarding or emergency stop button and he was working alone. More.
WA – Worker falls from scaffold; $15K fine
A painting company has been fined $15,000 after a worker fell from a mobile scaffold. The company Director moved the scaffold while the worker was on top of it, in breach of the Code of Practice. The scaffold fell over and the worker suffered multiple fractures. More.
WA – Government department fined $285K for passenger death
A government department has been fined $285,000 over the death of a passenger in a police van. The department pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that someone who wasn’t an employee wasn’t exposed to hazards. No temperature monitor was installed in the rear of the van and the passenger died of heatstroke. More.
NZ – Multiple safety breaches leads to $230K+ fine for steel maker
A leading steel manufacturer has been fined nearly a quarter of a million dollars for six separate health and safety offences. The offences included failing to report four accidents and failing to adequately guard machines. The Judge deemed that the company had a “laissez-faire attitude to health and safety issues.” More.
NZ – Company fined $80K over hot water and chemical burns
Separate incidents causing a hot water burn and chemical burns have led to a cleaning company being fined $80,000. Hazard identification, equipment maintenance, supervision and emergency procedures were deemed inadequate. More.
NZ – Worker dies after being hit by forklift; companies fined $55K
Two companies have been fined a total of $55,000 after a wharf worker was hit, then pushed nearly 20 metres, by a forklift. He died at the scene. More.
NZ – Spouting company fined after contractor falls five metres
A company has been fined $55,000, plus $30,000 in reparations, after a worker fell five metres from a ladder, suffering multiple fractures. The company failed to report the incident and disturbed the incident site. More.
NZ – Fall from bridge costs company more than $40K
In another fall-related incident, a contracting company has been fined $38,400, and ordered to pay reparations of $12,000, after a worker fell three metres onto a riverbed while repairing a bridge. More.
NZ – Multiple fractures after worker falls 3.6 m
A third incident involving a worker falling has seen a quarry company fined nearly $30,000, plus $20,000 in reparations. The worker stepped from a work platform onto a rock crusher, but slipped and fell 3.6 metres. He suffered a fractured skull, neck, back and ribs. No barriers were in place. More.
NZ – Finger amputations leads to $16K fine
Inadequate guarding of a metal guillotine has led to the amputation of four fingers. The worker put his hand into the machine to adjust a sheet of metal and accidentally activated the machine. The employer fitted guarding the day after the incident. More.
NZ – Unguarded machinery claims more fingers
In another guarding incident, an employee had three fingers amputated by a press. He, too, accidentally pressed the activation pedal while operating the machine. The employer has been fined $30,000 plus $10,000 in reparations. More.
