NSW Boilermaker Fined $120k After Worker Crushed in Conveyor Incident
18 Feb 2026•BlueSafe Team•Source: SafeWork NSW
A New South Wales boilermaking and welding company has been fined $120,000 after a worker suffered serious injuries when caught between conveyor rollers, highlighting the critical need for robust WHS management systems and safe work procedures around plant and machinery.
Boilermaking and welding business Painting and Blasting Industries Pty Ltd has been ordered to pay a $120,000 fine in the Industrial Court of NSW following a prosecution brought by SafeWork NSW.
The case relates to an incident on 5 October 2022, in which a worker sustained serious injuries after becoming trapped between conveyor rollers while helping to load and unload material from a blasting machine.
The company pleaded guilty to an offence under section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), for failing to comply with its primary duty of care under section 19(1) to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers.
The Court found that the risk associated with working in close proximity to moving conveyor components was both foreseeable and readily controllable through appropriate guarding, isolation procedures and clearly documented safe work methods. Effective WHS management systems and task-specific Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) are key tools for identifying and controlling such hazards before an incident occurs.
The full judgment in relation to Painting and Blasting Industries Pty Ltd is available on the NSW Caselaw website. The company retains the right to appeal the sentence imposed by the Court.
SafeWork NSW has reiterated that workers who have concerns about health and safety in their workplace can raise issues anonymously by calling 13 10 50 or lodging a report through the Speak Up Save Lives online platform.
Business owners and PCBUs are encouraged to review their risk management processes for plant, machinery and equipment, including the adequacy of guarding, lock-out and isolation procedures, supervision and training. Comprehensive WHS policies and procedures, along with task-specific SWMS, can assist duty holders to meet their legal obligations and demonstrate due diligence. Resources and guidance material are available from SafeWork NSW, and template WHS documentation can be sourced from specialist providers such as BlueSafe SWMS.
SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer emphasised that the controls for conveyor and machinery-related risks are well understood across industry and should already be in place wherever this type of plant is used.
"Risk control measures for working with equipment such as conveyors are well known. Being injured when working with plant, machinery and equipment is a preventable hazard we see across our State and across all industries," Commissioner Schorer said.
She noted that preventing injuries from mobile plant, vehicles and fixed machinery remains a key regulatory priority for SafeWork NSW, and underscored the importance of proactive risk management.
"Having an awareness and assessment of the risks, along with implementation of safe systems of work, is key to reducing the number of incidents related to plant, machinery and equipment."
Organisations are urged to regularly review and update their WHS management systems, conduct plant risk assessments, and ensure that safe operating procedures and SWMS are effectively communicated, implemented and monitored in day-to-day operations.