Issue Date:  -  Wednesday, 2 August 2006

Labour hire company fined over unsafe workplace

A labour hire company has been fined $7500 for failing to ensure that a workplace was safe after a worker it had supplied seriously injured his fingers.

Integrated Group Limited pleaded guilty in the Fremantle Magistrates Court last week to a charge of failing to provide a safe workplace under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Integrated Group had supplied a worker to Western Salt Refinery in Hamilton Hill in February 2005, and that worker had the tips of two fingers amputated between the pulley and v-belt of a waste auger later that month.

The labour hire company had failed to ensure that Western Salt Refinery had given the worker instructions in the safe operation of machinery, and had also failed to identify operation of the auger as a task to be performed by the worker.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today that the court case was a good illustration of the responsibilities labour hire companies had for the safety and health of their employees.

“The injured man was an employee of the labour hire company, which was hence responsible for ensuring it was sending him to a safe workplace,” Ms Lyhne said.

“The man was given a general induction when he started at the workplace, but was not given any site-specific induction or instruction and training in relation to the safe operation of any of the machinery at the salt refinery.

“A representative of Integrated Group did attend the refinery and conduct and inspection and complete a job compatibility assessment with a task description of the work the man would be doing.

“But operation of the waste auger was not identified as a task to be performed by the worker, so Integrated Group did not instruct Western Salt to ensure the worker was trained in its operation and potential hazards.

“Any company that hires out labour needs to know exactly what their responsibilities are in regard to ensuring that the workplaces they send their workers to are as safe and healthy as possible.

“In the case of labour hire workers, both the labour hire company and the company to which the worker is hired have a duty of care to ensure a safe workplace is provided.”

Further information on the responsibilities of labour hire companies can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.worksafe.wa.gov.au.