WorkSafe

A Hope Valley heavy industrial company has been fined $350,000 on two charges (and ordered to pay $5295 in costs) over causing serious injuries to a 16-year-old apprentice and not reporting the injury.

National Steel Workplace Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing serious harm to a worker, and was fined in the Rockingham Magistrates Court yesterday. National Steel also pleaded guilty to failing to notify the Commissioner of that injury.

WorkSafe has commenced prosecution proceedings against a meat processing facility over the 2022 death of a process worker at its Katanning operation.

Western Australian Meat Marketing Co-operative Ltd (WAMMCO) has been charged with failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing the death of a worker.

In December 2022, a process worker at the facility suffered fatal injuries when he was entrapped by the moving parts of machinery.

WorkSafe inspectors recently visited a carpentry business where workers were in the process of making a large entertainment unit with an engineered stone top.

The stone had been cut the day before, and the factory was in the process of finalising fabrication of the cabinet.

A prohibition notice was issued to the business that required the stone slab to be disposed of and the evidence of disposal submitted to WorkSafe.

In December 2023, the decision was made to ban engineered stone slabs and panels across Australia, with the ban coming into effect from July 1, 2024.

WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said today everyone on both sea and land needed to have safe systems of work in place and operating when a cyclone approached.

“Employers must have adequate plans in place and must provide employees with appropriate training to protect everyone in the workplace when a cyclone threatens,” Ms North said.

A Kalgoorlie engineering company has been fined $685,000 (and ordered to pay $21,413 in costs) over the death of a worker.

Monadelphous Engineering Associates Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing the death of the worker, and was fined in the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court today.

The company provides maintenance and industrial services to heavy industry, including construction, painting and abrasive blasting of metal structures.

WorkSafe is investigating the work-related death of a male painter in his 60’s who was involved in an incident at Mandurah last week.

The male painter in his 60s was working from an A-frame ladder on Thursday when he fell, suffering critical injuries. He passed away today.

WorkSafe investigators examine the circumstances of incidents with a view to ensuring compliance and preventing future incidents of a similar nature.

WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said the man’s death was a tragedy and relayed her sincere condolences to his family and friends.

WorkSafe has initiated the first three prosecutions for two fatalities involving mining companies under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020, which came into effect in March 2022.

In the first two prosecutions, mine contractor MACA Mining Pty Ltd and mine operator Greenmount Resources Pty Ltd have been charged with failing to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers while at work, resulting in the death of a worker.

WorkSafe has commenced prosecution action against the Department of Justice over psychological injury to a former prison officer at Bunbury Regional Prison.

The department has been charged with failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing serious harm to a worker. The maximum penalty for this offence is a fine of $3.5 million.

It is alleged that a failure by the department to have procedures in place to deal with inappropriate workplace behaviours caused harm to an employee, a female prison officer.

WorkSafe is investigating the work-related death of a labourer at the road reserve on the Warwick Road offramp of the Mitchell Freeway this afternoon.

The man was reported to have been struck by a piece of equipment that fell.

WorkSafe investigators are currently examining the circumstances of the incident with a view to ensuring compliance and preventing future incidents of a similar nature.

WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said any work-related death was a tragedy, and relayed her sincere condolences to the man’s family, friends and fellow workers.