An employer has been fined $400,000 after a contract worker was injured performing a task that wasn't covered in his safety induction and which the workplace supervisor hadn't been trained on.
The Court heard that at the time of the offence, two workers were contracted to use tools to remove built up material from a conveyor, while it was running, at the employer's processing plant.
In February 2020, one of the workers was using a shovel for this purpose when his left arm became entangled and was lacerated in a nip point between the belt and a return roller.
Another worker pulled an emergency lanyard to stop the conveyor, and used a crowbar to lift the conveyor belt, allowing the trapped worker to remove his arm.
The Court found that while the convey or belt was guarded, the guarding didn't extend far enough towards the ground, leaving an 800-millimetre gap that workers could reach under to access hazardous moving parts.
After it was sentenced, WorkSafe WA Commissioner stressed that companies "must implement and enforce suitable isolation procedures for plant and machinery and ensure nip points are always adequately guarded".
Also Read: All About WHS training and Due Diligence training
It was noted that while the injured worker had completed a one-hour online safety induction before working at the processing plant, the session "did not cover conveyor safety or isolations".
On the day of the incident, the supervisor for the task was overseeing the plant for the first time and had not received any specific training for the role.
Companies must ensure all workers have the required training and are assessed as competent on the tasks assigned to them.
The injured worker was very fortunate not to lose his left arm, and WorkSafe was concerned by the increasing number of serious incidents involving convey orsthat have inadequate or missing guards.
It urged duty holders to consult the WHS Code of Practice, Managing risks of plant in the workplace.
There is an on going and critical need for business to receive updated WHS training, Due Diligence Training, Compliance Training, and Risk Management Training.
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