$560k towards safety measures after labour hire worker’s hand was amputated

WorkSafe has reported that a civil engineering company will spend more than $560,000 to improve health and safety outcomes after a labour hire worker’s hand was amputated in a concrete pump mixer.

Back in February 2022, a worker was cleaning the residue from a concrete pump mixer, which was being put to use during drain rehabilitation works at Moonee Ponds. While doing this, the worker’s hand suddenly became entangled in the mixing hopper, resulting in an amputation.

Although the concrete mixer had a guard fitted, it had been removed to clean the hopper area, and there were no interlocks installed in case of an unexpected start-up while the guarding was detached.

On Wednesday, 2 October, in the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court, the company, Aqua Metro Services, entered an enforceable undertaking while facing two charges of failing to ensure people other than their employees were not exposed to dangerous health and safety risks.

Through this, WorkSafe alleges that it was reasonably practicable for the company in this situation to control the risk of entanglement through measures such as the installation of an interlocked guard, the use of a high-pressure hose to remove residue, or, if the guarding had to be removed for cleaning, using a lock-out, tag-out procedure.

Each of these measures could have prevented the worker from needing to have his hand amputated.

“Unfortunately, when machinery is not properly guarded, it’s often a matter of when, not if, a serious and potentially life-changing incident will occur,” said WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin in regard to inadequately guarded machinery.

According to WorkSafe, the estimated $561,400 undertaking requires Aqua Metro Services to:

• Develop and deliver guarding-related virtual reality scenario training that uses the incident and other scripted scenarios as the basis for learning in a simulated onsite environment, in partnership with Master Builders Victoria.

• Sponsor approximately 30 external candidates, sourced from industry partnerships and labour hire companies, and about 60 company employees to undertake the VR training.

• Design and implement a Smart Glass application paired with QR codes installed on plant at sites operated by the company and develop a safety leadership program for the application to be undertaken by about 40 workers, with a focus on labour hire, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), and young workers.

• Fund scholarships through Monash University for students to complete a tertiary safety education qualification and place the students in the company’s apprenticeship programs.

• Donate any leftover funding to the Australian Institute of Health and Safety.

“The only upside to this terrible incident is that significant safety improvements will now be made within this company and the wider industry, including better support for students and vulnerable workers,” Jenkin said.