Issue Date:  -  Wednesday, 16 August 2006

Restaurant fined over unguarded machinery

Beachfront Enterprises Pty Ltd – trading as The Blue Duck Caf – pleaded guilty and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court last week.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today that the message still did not appear to be getting through that machinery guarding was essential.

“The dough mixer was available for employees to use, but the employer failed to ensure their safety by not providing guarding he knew was required - and it was fortunate that no-one was injured,” Ms Lyhne said.

“There are many cases where employees have had fingers amputated or have even lost limbs after they became tangled in machinery, so the potential hazards are very real.

“It is disappointing that we still have to remind employers of the importance of machinery guarding when it has been required by occupational safety and health legislation for so long.

“Guarding is one of the easiest and most obvious means of minimising the risk of injury to machinery operators, and the cost of installing guarding is far less than the cost in human and economic terms of a serious injury to a worker.”

Further information on machinery guarding can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.worksafe.wa.gov.au.