Cleanaway charged over fatal truck and compactor crush at Sydney tip

A single charge has been filed by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions alleging national waste management company Cleanaway Operations Pty Ltd failed in its primary safety duty under the Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act).

It follows a 24 September 2024 incident in which a visitor to one of its Sydney facilities suffered fatal crush injuries. The incident occurred at Cleanaway’s Lucas Heights Resource and Recovery Park — a large tip in Sydney’s south.

The incident involved a worker employed by another company who was crushed between his own truck and a compactor driven by another worker on a job at the site while visiting the tip to offload waste.

Cleanaway, as the site owner and operator, was responsible for traffic management at the facility and owed a legal duty to provide a safe workplace for visitors, Comcare said.

Following a Comcare investigation, it will be alleged the company failed to undertake a range of measures to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks, including:

• Conducting a mandatory site induction for drivers of waste vehicles who attended the tip face
• Providing these drivers with information about critical safety communications
• Implementing a site-specific traffic management plan that included clear procedures for drivers at the tip face when exiting vehicles.
   

Listed for mention on 20 October, the Category 2 offence charge under the WHS Act carries a maximum penalty of $2.32 million.

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