Project Coordination (Qld) Pty Ltd

Incident description:

An 18 year old labour hire worker placed with the defendant sustained a laceration injury to his left arm when struck with the blade of an angle grinder he was operating.

WHSQ investigation findings:

The worker was injured during the first shift of employment with the defendant. He had not been trained in the use of the angle grinder and no risk assessment was undertaken on the task being performed. The investigation found that despite being a new employee, the worker had only been periodically supervised.

Court result:

The defendant was found guilty and fined $41,000. No conviction was recorded.

Considerations for prevention:

Employers have an obligation to ensure all workers are properly inducted, trained and supervised, to enable them to safely perform the duties required. When operating power tools, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should be supplied and the correct clothing worn.

Workers who are new to a workplace or unfamiliar with a particular task, as is often the case with the placement of labour hire workers, are invariably at greater risk of being injured. Employers should give due consideration to this fact when conducting risk assessments at the workplace and assigning tasks to new workers.

Visit the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website for more information on:

• implementing controls or evaluating or monitoring them
• conducting risk assessments or developing safe operating procedures
• training options or how training should be conducted, and
• selecting PPE.