20/06/2008

News Item

Corporation fined over worker’s death

An Aboriginal corporation has been fined $26,000 after the death of a worker in a mechanical workshop at a remote Aboriginal community.

Mindibungu Aboriginal Corporation pleaded guilty in the Kununurra Magistrate’s Court this week to failing to provide a safe working environment and, by that failure, causing the death of a worker.

A 17-year-old worker employed by Mindibungu was working in a mechanical workshop at the Billiluna Community as a workshop assistant trainee.

He and another worker were assisting with the repair and re-inflation of a large tyre for a backhoe when the tyre’s tube burst from within the rim.

The man was catapulted approximately eight metres into the air and fell to the floor.  He died four days later.

The workshop did not have a safety cage, safety barrier or restraining device to be used during tyre inflation, and there were no safe working procedures in place for inflating tyres.

In addition, the worker was not given proper instruction on how to re-inflate a large tyre and was not properly supervised.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today the case should send out a clear message that safe working procedures must be in place at all workplaces.

”Very little attention was paid to making this a safe workplace,“ Ms Lyhne said.

”The correct procedures were not used, no safety devices were in place, and the young workers were not provided with proper instruction or supervision.“

source: http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=80039