Refobar Australia Pty Ltd

Incident description:

A supervisor was injured when her cotton glove was caught in a small plane ducting machine while assisting a machinery operator to remove wire which had become caught during its operation.

Investigation findings:

The investigation found that the defendants knew the cage guarding the machine had been left open and this was a tolerated practice.

It was also found that the defendants knew that this left the plant unguarded as they were the ones responsible for designing and modifying the machine. It was also found that workers had not been formally inducted in regards to written work procedures and practices for the machine.

Considerations for prevention:

As a result of the incident the defendants installed interlocking devices, implemented written instructions and conducted a safety audit of the workplace.

Court result:

The defendant company was found guilty and fined $32,000. The company’s executive officer entered into a good behavior bond for 24 months, with recognisance set at $3000. No convictions were recorded for either defendant.

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

• obligations when modifying plant
• safeguarding machinery and plant (PDF, 736kB)
• training staff as a control measure to mange risks.