Two companies fined $65,000 after worker’s finger partially amputated
17 Sept 2024•BlueSafe Team•Source: WorkSafe VIC
Askin (Vic) Pty Ltd and labour hire company Dekro Recruitment Pty Ltd have been fined a total of $65,000 after a worker suffered a partial finger amputation while clearing a blocked extractor vent.
Askin (Vic) was sentenced in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 4 September after pleading guilty to one charge of failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace. It was fined $40,000 without conviction and ordered to pay $4,350 in costs.
The incident occurred in May 2022 while the labour hire worker was changing bags on a manufacturing line’s extraction system. He had been assigned the task a month after starting his placement, alongside his usual packing duties.
The worker used a plastic pipe to clear wool blocking an extractor vent. The pipe struck a rotary valve and was pulled inwards, forcing his hand against the valve’s blades. He suffered partial amputation and degloving of his middle finger.
WorkSafe’s investigation found workers could reach powered parts of the paddle blade assembly while it was running, creating a risk of serious injury. Installing an interlocked guard to prevent access while the extractor operated was a reasonably practicable measure available to Askin (Vic).
The company also lacked a safe system of work incorporating a risk assessment and written maintenance procedure for the extractor. That system should have restricted bag replacement to workers trained in the procedure, required blockages to be reported to and handled only by maintenance personnel, and ensured the extractor was isolated before access.
Dekro Recruitment, which supplied the worker to Askin (Vic), pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work. In May 2024, it was fined $25,000 without conviction and ordered to pay $2,841 in costs.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said every worker had the right to attend work without fearing serious injury. “Far too often we see workers, particularly those with little experience in a workplace, exposed to the well-known risks of moving machinery,” Mr Jenkin said.
“Every employer, including those providing workers to other businesses, must ensure they develop safe systems and processes to properly identify and manage hazards as they emerge.”
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