Worker struck by falling tree trunk lands company $70K fine

Following a worker suffering serious injury after he was struck by a falling section of a tree trunk, a company has been convicted and fined $70,000 in the Industrial Court of NSW — as a result of a prosecution by SafeWork NSW.

The worker was struck by a falling section of a tree trunk, which was being cut down, on 22 November 2022. The company pleaded guilty to an offence pursuant to section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 for failing to comply with its duty to workers under section 19(1) of the Act.

“Risk control measures for falling objects such as exclusion zones, traffic management plans and adequate supervision are well known, so businesses have no excuse for not implementing them,” SafeWork NSW Commissioner Janet Schorer said.

“SafeWork NSW reminds all businesses of their duty to ensure their workers are protected when working with potential falling hazards.”

The full judgment can be read here, on the NSW Caselaw website.

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