The worker was unblocking an extractor vent when his hand was cut by a blade.
A man’s finger was partially amputated by a sharp blade in a workplace accident at a manufacturing factory in Melbourne’s southeast.
The man was working at Askin (VIC) in Dandenong South as a packer in May 2022 when he was tasked with changing bags on the manufacturing line’s extraction system.
He was using a plastic pipe to clear an extractor vent that was blocked when the pipe hit a rotary valve and was dragged inwards, forcing his hand to touch the valve’s blades.
He suffered a partial amputation and degloving of his middle finger.
At the time, the worker was inexperienced and only a month into his placement — a risk WorkSafe Victoria said the company should have been aware of and avoided with better training.
Askin was sentenced in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court this month after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace.
WorkSafe’s investigation found there was a risk of serious injury as workers could access the powered parts of the blade while it was operating.
It found it was reasonably practicable for Askin (VIC) to have installed an interlocked guard to prevent access when the extractor was operating and to provide a safe system of work that included a risk assessment and ensured the task was only completed by workers trained in the procedure.
On September 4, Askin was fined $40,000 without conviction and ordered to pay $4350 in costs.
In May, labour hire company Dekro Recruitment, which provided the worker to Askin, was fined $25,000 without conviction and ordered to pay costs of $2841 after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work.
WorkSafe health and safety executive director Sam Jenkin said every worker had a right to go to work without fear of being seriously injured.
“Far too often we see workers, particularly those with little experience in a workplace, exposed to the well-known risks of moving machinery,” Jenkin said.
“Every employer, including those providing workers to other businesses, must ensure they develop safe systems and processes to properly identify and manage hazards as they emerge.”
Source: 7News
