On Wednesday 4 December, Class Plastics (Aust) Pty Ltd faced judgement in the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court without conviction after acknowledging a single violation regarding the upkeep of a safe and risk-free operational plant. The company was directed to cover an additional $4,000 in associated expenses.
In April 2022, at their Truganina manufacturing unit, a supervisor was asked for help to resolve a dilemma with an industrial plastic blow moulding device. In the process of modifying the machine, the supervisor’s head became clamped between a moving bar and the framework of the machine, causing a serious brain injury, a broken skull and internal cranial bleeding that demanded emergency surgical treatment.
The court learned that the piece of machinery’s interlock structure, designed to halt operations while accessibility gates were left open, had been disconnected. The sensors intended to activate the safety mechanism had also been obstructed using adhesive tape.
Class Plastics confessed that incorporating routine inspections and taking care of the maintenance of the interlock mechanism, including confirming that sensors and other safety mechanisms weren’t breached, would have been reasonably feasible to minimise the risks of grave injuries or potential fatalities.
Sam Jenkin, WorkSafe’s Executive Director of Health and Safety, expressed that equipment is a major offender causing workplace injuries and fatalities, taking seven Victorian workers’ lives since the start of the year due to plant-related incidents. He added, “This scenario demonstrates the devastating and potentially life-altering harm resulting from workplace accidents and stresses that there should be no justification for not making every feasible effort to put employee safety first.”
Mr. Jenkin emphasised the importance of maintaining essential safety features such as interlock devices and sensors in full working order and reminded employers to regularly assess their machinery’s operational status.
Integration of work safety measures such as Bluesafe WHS Management Systems aids businesses in managing occupational hazards related to machinery. Documents such as Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) and health and safety policies are critical tools provided by Bluesafe SWMS to ensure safe work practices.
Subsequent queries on this matter can be directed to:
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Original article link: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/news/2024-12/manufacturer-fined-after-workers-head-crushed