Brims Products Pty Ltd
Incident description:
A worker was injured while attempting to fix a veneer joining machine. The sheets of timber veneer would not feed into the machine. The worker leaned over the veneer with the weight of her hands on the sheet of veneer to look at where the veneer was going through the machine. The veneer the worker was leaning on started moving into the feed chains and her right hand and forearm were crushed between the two feed chains.
Investigation findings:
The risk of injury was not adequately managed, as operating procedures did not include a procedure for troubleshooting faults with the machine. Guarding on the machine was not adequate to ensure the worker?s body parts could not come into contact with the pinch point between the top and bottom feed chains.
Considerations for prevention:
(Commentary under this heading may be additional to material before the court.)After the incident, the company improved guarding on the machine in such a way that did not hinder the functioning of the machine. Operating procedures and duty statements were amended and operators and supervisors were retrained.
Obligation holders should consider the requirements of section 27A of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 which outlines obligations relating to risk management. They should also consider the requirements of the Plant Code of Practice 2005, in particular part 1.16 Guarding, part 5.4 Operation, part 5.7 Plant with moving parts and part 5.22 Instructing, training and supervising workers, and Australian Standard 4024 Safety of Machinery.
Court result:
Brims Products Pty Ltd was found guilty and fined $15,000 with no conviction recorded.
|
Industry:
|
Plywood and veneer manufacturing
|
|---|---|
|
Defendant:
|
Brims Products Pty Ltd (ABN 80 082 936 025)
|
|
Date of offence:
|
20 February 2006
|
|
Location of offence:
|
Yerongpilly, Brisbane |
|
Injury:
|
Crush injury to right hand and thumb
|
|
Offence:
|
Bodily harm
|
|
Court:
|
Brisbane Industrial Magistrates Court
|
|
Magistrate:
|
Mr B. L. Kucks
|
|
Legislation:
|
s.28(1) Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995
|
|
Plea:
|
Guilty
|
|
Decision date:
|
27 July 2007
|
|
Penalty:
|
$15,000
|
|
Maximum fine available:
|
$281,256
|
|
Investigation costs:
|
$1,200
|
|
Professional and legal costs:
|
$750
|
|
Court costs:
|
-
|
|
In default period to pay:
|
12 months, in default levy and distress
|
|
Conviction recorded:
|
No
|
|
CIS No.:
|
45619
|
Other languages