Manufacturers fined over hand injuries in SA

The SA Industrial Relations Court imposed fines totalling $51,000 on two manufacturers, whose workers suffered serious hand injuries in separate incidents.

Bridgestone Australia was fined $21,000 after pleading guilty to breaching section 19(1) of the Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act 1986 in failing to ensure the safety of an employee. In September 2005, as he tried to help a colleague resolve a problem, a worker lost the tops of three fingers when his hand was caught in the die chamber of a rubber-extruding machine at Bridgestone’s Salisbury factory. The risk assessment had not factored in the possibility of two people working on the machine when one was usually required. A guard and an interlock device have since been fitted.

Artso Cores (SA) was fined $30,000 for breaching the Act in the same manner. The company failed to answer to the court and was convicted in its absence. In August 2006, an employee was operating a machine when the die closed on his hand, resulting in serious crush and burn injuries. The machine’s interlock system, designed to facilitate safe access, was not operating at the time.

“We continue to see far too many of these types of injuries, which is why manufacturing remains a priority industry for all workplace safety authorities in Australia,” says SafeWork SA executive director Michele Patterson. “During Safe Work Month, our inspectors made many presentations on safety in manufacturing. These two cases illustrate why we need to continually press home that message.”