Plumber fined after apprentice travelled in ute toolbox
08 Oct 2024•BlueSafe Team•Source: WorkSafe VIC
A plumbing director has been fined after a 19-year-old apprentice travelled in a toolbox on the rear tray of his work ute. He was also ordered to pay $4,249 in costs.
The 31-year-old director pleaded guilty in the Mansfield Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 2 October to one charge of failing to ensure a workplace under his management or control was safe and without risks to health. No conviction was recorded.
In February 2022, the director and apprentice had completed a hot water service installation at a Bridge Creek property when they decided the client would return to Mansfield with them. The court heard that the ute had only two seats, prompting a discussion about carrying the apprentice in the toolbox on the rear tray.
The journey took an estimated 20–25 minutes. While inside the confined space, the apprentice recorded a video describing the heat and discomfort.
When they reached Mansfield, the apprentice's brother saw him being let out of the toolbox, hunched over and red-faced. The director and client were nearby, laughing and drinking beer. The incident was reported months later, after the apprentice told his mother and she contacted his Apprenticeships Victoria support officer.
WorkSafe's investigation found that tools remained inside the toolbox during the trip. It identified a risk of serious injury or death if the ute collided with something or stopped suddenly. The director could reasonably have reduced the risk by not driving, or allowing anyone else to drive, while a person was inside the toolbox.
WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said there was no excuse for placing a young apprentice in such a vulnerable position.
"Illegally transporting this young apprentice in the back of a toolbox was extremely unsafe and could have had absolutely catastrophic consequences," Mr Jenkin said.
"WorkSafe will continue to hold employers accountable when they fail to prioritise safety and wellbeing, particularly for young workers who won’t always have the confidence to speak up if something is wrong."
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