Plastics Firm Fined $90,000 After Worker’s Finger Amputated

A & J Australia Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $90,000 in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court after a worker suffered a finger amputation while operating a granulator at its plastics manufacturing facility.

The company pleaded guilty to a single charge of failing to provide and maintain a working environment that was safe and without risks to health. In addition to the fine, A & J Australia Pty Ltd was ordered to pay $5,966 in costs.

The incident occurred in October 2024, when a worker was using a recently acquired granulator to grind rejected plastic products into smaller pieces for re-use. Unlike other granulators on site that relied on fans to blow plastic dust away, the new machine was fitted with an auger attachment that used a rotating screw to transfer shredded plastic material.

The court heard that the granulator became jammed after a build-up of material obstructed the rotating screw. While trying to clear the blockage, the worker’s right index finger was severed. He was transported to hospital for surgery.

A WorkSafe investigation identified significant shortcomings in the company’s safety management, including the absence of clearly defined roles and responsibilities for managing risks associated with new machinery. There were no documented procedures, checklists or minimum safety requirements in place for the introduction and commissioning of new plant.

The company acknowledged it would have been reasonably practicable to eliminate or reduce the risk by installing a permanent fixed physical barrier over the granulator’s inlet, using an interlock device that would de-energise the granulator and auger whenever the barrier was removed, or a combination of both controls.

WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin emphasised that all workers in Victoria are entitled to a workplace free from the risk of serious injury.

Mr Jenkin noted that serious incidents involving moving machinery parts occur far too often, despite the availability of relatively simple guarding solutions that can significantly reduce the risk of hands and fingers being crushed, caught or severed.

He stressed that every employer has a legal and moral responsibility to develop and implement safe systems of work, including formal WHS management systems, Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), and plant risk assessments, to identify and control hazards as they arise—particularly when new machinery or processes are introduced.

Comprehensive WHS documentation, such as machinery-specific procedures, checklists and policies, plays a critical role in ensuring that risks are assessed before commissioning new plant, that appropriate guarding and interlocks are installed, and that workers are trained in safe cleaning, maintenance and fault-clearing practices. Employers seeking to strengthen their safety documentation and controls for plant and equipment can access structured WHS management systems and policies from specialist providers such as BlueSafe Online.

The case serves as a reminder that the cost of failing to implement effective safety controls on machinery can be severe—for both workers and businesses—and that proactive, documented risk management is essential to prevent similar incidents.