Safety warning for working in sawmills

WorkCover NSW has issued a reminder to the sawmilling industry to ensure adequate safety precautions are taken when working in mills. The warning follows the latest in a number of recent incidents where sawmill workers received severe injuries while operating machinery.

A worker at a sawmill in Nundle suffered crush injuries to his hand while operating machinery and was taken to Tamworth Hospital.

In a separate incident, it appears that a worker at Gunnedah was operating a saw when he came into contact with the machinery, resulting in cuts to his right foot.

WorkCover will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of both incidents.

The General Manager of WorkCover’s Occupational Health and Safety Division, John Watson, said these incidents serve as unfortunate reminders to employers and workers to ensure there are sufficient safe work methods in place: “It is essential that risk assessment and control measures should be taken to prevent incidents such as these when working with dangerous equipment such as that found in sawmills.

“Anyone involved with using sawmill machinery should be properly trained and under adequate supervision. Equipment should be properly guarded and inspected on a regular basis to ensure that it meets all safety requirements.”

Employers and those who work in sawmills should ensure that there is adequate functioning machine guarding, particularly on saws; effective systems of work are in place, including proper training for workers; and equipment is properly maintained, including clearing blockages and ensuring electrical systems are safe for use.