A young woman has been left with horrific injuries after her arm was crushed in a roller at work.
Courtney Herbert, who was 18 at the time, was brushing salt off a conveyor belt at the Pacific Salt factory in Whyalla, South Australia, in April 2020 when her arm became trapped.
Her shirt got caught in the rollers of the machine and she began to be dragged into it, as workers frantically fought to free her.
One worker turned off the machine while another grabbed a spanner to help free a screaming Ms Herbert from the roller.
They were able to prise free Ms Herbert, who later required surgery and was left with damaged tendons.
Pacific Salt, which makes Olsson’s Salt, was found to have breached the Work Health and Safety Act at a South Australian Employment Tribunal.
Deputy president Magistrate Stuart Cole found there was no emergency stop button or safety rails, the Advertiser reported.
“(She) was driven to hospital for initial surgical treatment of two large degloving injuries to her right elbow, second- to third-degree friction burns, and a partial-thickness laceration of the distal triceps at the attachment into her right elbow,” Mr Cole said.
Ms Herbert said she was still in pain following the incident.
She tried to return to work but ended up quitting, claiming she felt a lack of support.
Pacific Salt spent more than $300,000 making their equipment and procedures more safe following the incident.
Mr Cole found the company was responsible for a “serious regulatory breach” and fined it $75,000.
Source: News.com.au
