$210K fine after 20-year-old worker's hand pulled into rock crushing machine

A mineralogical services company has been fined after a worker sustained serious crush injuries to four fingers — with the tip of his index finger having to be amputated — when his gloved hand was pulled into the rock crushing machine.

The incident occurred on 29 June 2023 while the worker was crushing rocks into smaller particles using a rock crushing machine. Only having been employed at the business for a few weeks, the worker pressed the stop button after a rock became jammed in the crusher.

The padlock key kept on a table beside the crusher was then used by the worker open the padlock and lift the arm. The guard was removed by the worker, revealing the two internal rollers, but the worker did not switch off the power source.

The rollers re-activated as he attempted to remove the jammed rock with his right hand, pulling his gloved hand into the machine and crushing his fingertips. The company was charged with one offence under section 32 of the Work Health Safety Act 2012 of failing to comply with its health and safety duty.

The company failed, a SafeWork SA investigation found, to provide safe plant by the use of an adequate interlock device on the crusher; to take adequate steps to ensure workers did not engage in unsafe practices while using the crusher; to assess the risk of the crusher being energised when a worker was performing the task; and to provide adequate training, instruction or supervision while using the crusher.

“Faulty engineering control measures, when coupled with inadequate systems and training, in my view are at the higher end of the scale of being objectively serious,” Deputy President Judge Carrel said in her 29 May 2026 sentencing remarks in the South Australian Employment Court.

As the crusher was used almost daily and jams occurred frequently, Carrel said the potential risk was entirely foreseeable. The risks were even greater when young, inexperienced workers were effectively left with little supervision and inadequate training, Carrel said.

A conviction was recorded and the company fined $350,000, which was reduced by 40% to $210,000 for its early guilty plea. The company was also ordered to pay a contribution to SafeWork SA’s legal costs of $2310, and a Victim of Crime Levy of $437.

“Employers have a clear duty to ensure machinery is safe and workers are properly trained and supervised,” SafeWork SA Executive Director Glenn Farrell said. “When machinery is not effectively isolated, the consequences can be life-altering, as we have seen here.

“Young and inexperienced workers are particularly vulnerable and must be supported with adequate training, supervision and safe systems of work from day one,” Farrell added. “Leaving them to manage known hazards like frequent blockages is unacceptable.”

Since the incident, the company has made a number of safety improvements. These include reinforcing pre-start practices, monthly refresher training and safety upgrades to the crusher to remove power in the event of an emergency stop and guard activation.

Image credit: iStock.com/tzahiV. Stock image used is for illustrative purposes only.