Queensland’s biggest locally-owned smallgoods company, based in Ormeau, has been fined $70,000 by a Logan court after a teen employee seriously injured his hand in a sausage-making machine.
One of Queensland’s biggest family-owned meat companies has been fined $70,000 by a Logan court after a teen employee seriously injured his hand in a sausage-making machine.
Gotzinger Smallgoods, which employed 130 people, and its director Antony van der Drift faced Beenleigh Magistrates Court on July 8.
The company pleaded guilty to failure to comply with health and safety duty category two.
Mr van der Drift was not personally charged.
The court heard that on May 9 last year at their Ormeau factory a young worker was injured after “copying’’ a more experienced employee.
The victim had not been approved to use the machine, but the more experienced employee was approved.
He opened the cover and put his hand in a tray to grab a sausage, which had become stuck, when the plastic cover broke and sliced his hand, the court heard.
The victim was taken to hospital with cuts to the wrist but a month later he was still continuing to experience significant pain.
His father had previously worked at the company for 10 years. Both were present for the sentencing.
The court heard there was a communication issue between the experienced Polish-born worker, whose first language was not English, and the teen employee.
The court was told that since the accident Gotzinger Smallgoods had implemented measures to ensure the safety of workers.
Magistrate Terry Duroux said the company was otherwise a good corporate citizen and had no history of negligence or workplace injuries.
“The steps were not complex and there was a buddy system,” he said.
“I must however focus on the objective seriousness of the offence.”
Mr van der Drift represented Gotzinger Smallgoods in court and he was supported by several other employees in the gallery.
“The support from the company in court illustrates how serious they are in taking this,” Mr Duroux said.
Gotzinger Smallgoods was fined $70,000 and ordered to pay $1101 in court costs.
No conviction was recorded.
Source: Courier Mail
