Company fined $240k over worker's loss of fingers

A company involved in steel importation and land development has been fined a total of $240,000 (and ordered to pay more than $30,000 in costs) over an incident in which a 19-year-old worker had seven fingers amputated by forklift chains.

The company instructed the worker to operate the forklift even though he did not have the required High Risk Work Licence to do so. Additionally, he and other employees were not provided with an induction or training in safe work procedures, or with any written safe work procedures or information on the safe use and maintenance of forklifts. The company did not notify WorkSafe of the incident for over a month.

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This is a critical reminder to employers to ensure that they understand the requirements of the Work Health and Safety laws and have the appropriate procedures and training in place to ensure they are meeting their safety obligations and keeping their workers' safe. Please contact NECA's Safety Team on (08) 6241 6100 or email safety@necawa.asn.au if you need assistance with managing safety in your business.