Mackay company fined $50,000 over workplace safety incident
Date issued: 2010-05-28
Bucyrus Australia Underground Pty Ltd has been fined $50,000 after a teenage worker was injured in an incident at its Paget workplace.
The company pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Industrial Magistrates Court on 18 March 2010 to breaching section 24(1) of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (PDF, 766 KB) , having failed to ensure workplace safety.
The Court heard the worker sustained injuries to his hip and stomach when he was pinned between mining equipment on 19 August 2008.
An investigation by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland revealed the company had not conducted a risk assessment or stated work procedure on the storage and despatch process for the equipment.
Industrial Magistrate Bronwyn Springer took into account the company’s timely plea, its cooperation with the investigation and the implementation of corrective measures following the incident.
In addition to the fine, she ordered the company to pay $3,000 investigation costs and $56.20 court costs.
The prosecution was brought by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, part of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.
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