SafeWork SA | A mineralogical services company has been fined $210,000 after a worker’s hand became trapped in a rock crushing machine at its Wingfield workshop.
Bureau Veritas Minerals Pty Ltd pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the South Australian Employment Court after a SafeWork SA prosecution.
The incident occurred on 29 June 2023 when a 20-year-old worker was crushing rocks into smaller particles using a rock crushing machine.
The worker, who had only been employed at the business for a few weeks, pressed the stop button after a rock became jammed in the crusher. He then used the padlock key kept on a table beside the crusher to open the padlock and lift the arm.
The worker removed the guard revealing the two internal rollers but did not switch off the power source.
As he attempted to remove the jammed rock with his right hand, the rollers re-activated, pulling his gloved hand into the machine and crushing his fingertips.
Serious crush injuries were sustained to four fingers, and the tip of his index finger had to be amputated.
Bureau Veritas Minerals was charged with one offence under section 32 of the Work Health Safety Act 2012 of failing to comply with its health and safety duty.
The SafeWork SA investigation found that the company failed to:
- Provide safe plant by the use of an adequate interlock device on the crusher.
- Take adequate steps to ensure workers did not engage in unsafe practices while using the crusher.
- Assess the risk of the crusher being energised when a worker was performing the task.
- Provide adequate training, instruction or supervision while using the crusher.
Since the incident, Bureau Veritas Minerals has made several safety improvements such as reinforcing pre-start practices, monthly refresher training, and safety upgrades to the crusher to remove power in the event of an emergency stop and guard activation.
In her sentencing remarks, Deputy President Judge Carrel said the potential risk was entirely foreseeable as the crusher was used almost daily and jams occurred frequently.
She said the risks were even greater when young, inexperienced workers were effectively left with little supervision and inadequate training.
A conviction was recorded and Bureau Veritas Minerals was fined $350,000. This was reduced by 40% to $210,000 for its early guilty plea.
Bureau Veritas Minerals was also ordered to pay a contribution to SafeWork SA’s legal costs of $2,310, and a Victim of Crime Levy of $437.
