Meat company fined for safety breaches

Thomas Borthwick & Sons (Australia) was recently sentenced in the Mackay Industrial Magistrates Court for breaching section 24 of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, having failed to ensure workplace safety.

During the trials on the two matters, the Court heard that in both incidents, one in June 2006 and the other in October 2006, the female workers sustained broken arms after being entangled in exposed conveyor systems.

The Workplace Health and Safety Queensland investigation revealed the first incident occurred while the cleaner was taking part in a quality assurance inspection at the company’s workplace in Mackay. As she reached in to remove a piece of scrap meat, her sleeve was caught in the running conveyer belt. In the second incident, again a worker was cleaning machinery and when she reached in to remove scrap meat her glove was caught, drawing her arm into the running conveyer belt.

Industrial Magistrate Ross Risson recorded convictions against the company and ordered it to pay investigation, professional and court courts totalling $8421, in addition to the fine.