Issue Date:  -  Tuesday, 3 February 2004

Lack Of Training And Machine Guard Leads To $12,500 Fine

A court case held in Perth last week has prompted a warning on providing training to new workers and guarding dangerous machinery.

Busselton company Hexan Holdings Pty Ltd, trading as Whiteland Milling, was fined $12,500 plus costs in the Perth Court of Petty Sessions last week after pleading guilty to failing to ensure that a docking saw was safe, and by that failure, causing serious harm to an employee.

WorkSafe Acting Executive Director Nina Lyhne said today that the company had failed to adequately guard the saw, but that was not the only concern with this incident.

“The company was negligent in that it did not ensure that an employee operating the machine would not be able to reach into the path of the saw blade,” Ms Lyhne said.

“In this case, the operator reached into the path of the blade to clear a blockage, accidentally contacting the activation switch and allowing the blade to travel out and amputate his thumb and forefinger.

“We obviously had serious concerns with the fact that the operator was able – in the absence of guarding - to reach into the operating area of the saw, but we are also alarmed by the apparent lack of instruction and training given to the operator.

“This employee was within his first 45 minutes on the job when he sustained the injury, and this provides a compelling reminder to employers of the importance of properly training and inducting new staff.”

Manufacturers of machinery are legally required to make sure dangerous parts are safely guarded so operators are protected from injury, and operators are under an obligation to leave guards in place when the machinery is being operated.

Guards should be designed to protect the user but allow access for maintenance, and should not be removed unless the machine is stopped and isolated from the power source and locked out.

“The protection of new and young workers is one of WorkSafe’s seven regulatory priority areas,” Ms Lyhne said.

“These are areas of specific focus for both enforcement and proactive educational programs, chosen because they have higher than average rates of injury.

“I find it particularly alarming that a worker can sustain such a serious injury within 45 minutes of beginning a new job, and I urge everyone in workplaces to ensure that machinery is adequately guarded and that proper training and induction is given to all employees.”