Mali (Australia) Pty Ltd
Incident description:
A worker received injuries to his left hand when it was drawn into a belt sanding machine during cleaning.
Investigation findings:
The investigation found that the obligation holder had trained the worker not to open the access door (behind which, the belt and rollers were located) whilst the machine was in operation, but that the worker had ignored these instructions.
Considerations for prevention:
(Commentary under this heading may be additional to material before the court.)Whilst training had been provided to the worker, these administrative controls were insufficient to prevent the risk of entrapment. A higher order engineering control such as an interlocking device fitted to the access door of the machine would have shut down the machine automatically when the door was opened and better managed the risk of entrapment.
Court result:
The defendant pleaded guilty and was fined $30,000. No conviction was recorded.
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Industry: |
Manufacturing |
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Defendant: |
Mali (Australia) Pty Ltd (ANZSIC code 2921) |
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Date of offence: |
27 July 2007 |
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Location of offence: |
Underwood |
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Injury: |
Nerve damage, soft tissue damage, loss of tendon and bones to hand |
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Offence: |
Grievous bodily harm |
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Court: |
Beenleigh |
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Magistrate: |
Mr P Webber |
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Legislation: |
s.28(1) Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 |
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Plea: |
Guilty |
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Decision date: |
30 September 2008 |
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Penalty: |
$30,000 |
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Maximum fine available: |
$375,000 |
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Investigation costs: |
$1,444.80 |
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Professional and legal costs: |
Nil |
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Court costs: |
$68.60 |
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In default period to pay: |
Twelve months to pay, in default levy and distress |
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Conviction recorded: |
No |
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CIS No.: |
66314 |
Visit the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website for more information on:
- obligations when modifying plant
- safeguarding machinery and plant (PDF, 736kB)
- how to conduct risk assessments (PDF, 143kB) or develop safe operating procedures (PDF, 321kB)
