A freight company has been fined $35,000 following the death of a garbage truck driver in Melbourne’s north.
Tarantino Investments Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to a single charge of failing to provide a safe work environment. It was fined without conviction in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday, and ordered to pay $7500 in costs.
In December 2019, Mill Park man Peter Howard, 50, died after being ejected from his garbage truck in a freak incident involving another truck driver.
Goran Joveski was subcontracted by Tarantino Investments and supplied with a side loading trailer to transport a full shipping container, however, one of the stabilising legs on the trailer’s crane had not been retracted.
The protruding stabiliser leg collided with the cabin of Mr Howard’s truck, which was travelling in the opposite direction, killing him instantly.
Joveski previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order, with 300 hours of unpaid community work.
A WorkSafe investigation found the wiring of the side loading trailer was in a poor state of repair, having suffered some previous structural damage.
WorkSafe director of health and safety Narelle Beer said Tarantino Investments failed to properly maintain its vehicle.
“This company’s failure put other road users in extreme danger,” Dr Beer said in a statement on Monday.
“Tragically, we have already seen 12 workers killed in vehicle accidents this year and WorkSafe will not hesitate to take strong action against duty holders refusing to control the known risks.”
Source: Perth Now
