NSW Feedlot Fined $60,000 After Worker Injured by Unguarded Auger
14 July 2026•BlueSafe Team•Source: SafeWork NSW
A New South Wales feedlot operator has been fined $60,000 after a worker suffered serious injuries when they came into contact with an unguarded auger, highlighting the critical importance of robust WHS management systems and safe systems of work around plant and machinery.
Swain Farms Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $60,000 in the Industrial Court of NSW following a prosecution brought by SafeWork NSW over a serious workplace incident involving an unguarded auger.
The case relates to an incident on 6 August 2023, in which a worker sustained significant injuries after coming into contact with an auger that was not adequately guarded. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about risk management around moving plant, machinery and fixed equipment in agricultural and feedlot operations.
Swain Farms pleaded guilty to a breach of section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, for failing to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers as required under section 19(1) of the Act. The conviction reflects the Court’s view that known and readily available control measures for machinery risks were not effectively implemented.
The full judgment against Swain Farms has been published on the NSW Caselaw website. The company retains the right to appeal the sentence.
SafeWork NSW has reiterated that risk control measures for moving plant and fixed machinery are well established and must be embedded in workplace WHS management systems, Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) and operating procedures. Comprehensive WHS policies and procedures, such as those available from specialist providers, can assist businesses to systematically identify hazards, assess risks and implement effective controls around plant and equipment. For example, documented procedures and SWMS for high-risk machinery tasks can support workers to follow safe systems of work and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents. Suitable templates and tools are available online, including through resources such as SWMS libraries that can be adapted to specific site conditions.
Acting SafeWork Commissioner Petrina Casey emphasised that injuries involving fixed machinery remain a preventable and recurring hazard across NSW and across industries. She noted that preventing incidents caused by mobile plant, vehicles and fixed machinery is a key focus area in SafeWork NSW’s regulatory priorities, and that businesses are expected to demonstrate active risk management and ongoing review of their control measures.
SafeWork NSW advises that an awareness and assessment of the risks, supported by implementation of safe systems of work, is essential to reducing incidents involving moving plant and fixed machinery. Integrating these controls into formal WHS management systems and regularly reviewing SWMS, training and supervision are critical steps in ensuring compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act and protecting workers from foreseeable harm.
Workers who have concerns about health and safety in their workplace can raise issues anonymously with SafeWork NSW by calling 13 10 50 or via the Speak Up Save Lives website. Business owners and workers can also access guidance material, tools and other resources to help manage the risks associated with plant, machinery and equipment through the SafeWork NSW website.