SafeWork SA has issued a safety alert to businesses working with fruit and vegetable production lines following a worker sustaining a serious injury while working in a fruit production line in March.

The worker was clearing citrus from the pressure washing conveyor of a fruit production line when her clothing was caught in dangerous moving parts, pulling her into the machine. The worker sustained serious injuries to her arm.

SafeWork SA has reminded businesses “to be aware of their Work Health and Safety (WHS) obligations and ensure that dangerous moving parts of machinery are guarded”.

According to the code of practice, Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace, a guard is a physical or other barrier that can perform several functions, including:

• preventing contact with moving parts or controlling access to dangerous areas of plant;
• screening harmful emissions, e.g. radiation;
• minimising noise through applying sound-absorbing materials; and
• preventing ejected parts or off-cuts from striking people.

WHS Regulation 208 provides direction on the types of guarding, and circumstances when a person with management or control of the plant must implement guarding.