A Shepparton company that makes plastic food packaging has been fined $30,000 after a worker's hand was crushed in 2020, while fixing a machine used for heating and shaping plastic sheets.
He put his hand inside the machine, which was crushed by a moving part, necessitating surgery for two broken fingers and damage to tendons and nerves.
An investigation found that a safety guard on the machine wasn't working and was bypassed when the accident happened. The company could have prevented the incident by simply using a ‘lockout-tagout’ procedure when access to the dangerous part of the machine was required.
The man’s injury could have been easily avoided if the company had instructed and supervised workers to follow safety procedures.