Experienced operator contributed to colleague's death
Mr Poida was a crane operator employed by Tranzblast Coating Services. Mr Poida was an experienced crane operator, and the supervisor at a site in his workplace.
Case Law
Defects in equipment cost company $50,000
In a second case involving Tranzblast’s 8-tonne crane, following the fatality discussed in the Robert Poida case, this crane was inspected and found to have multiple defects, including defective wheel and park brakes, non-operational
Apprentice injury costs company $24,000
Ballarat Construction Management Pty Ltd (the Company) was engaged as the project manager of a demolition, construction and renovation of a school in Ballarat, Victoria.
Lack of training results in $100K penalty
Leucaena Chop Pty Ltd (Company) provided tree harvesting services in the greater Rockhampton region. On 15 December 2015, the Company was engaged to harvest trees on a property with one of its modified cane fertiliser spreading machines.
No emergency stop button nearly killed worker
Ricegrowers Limited (the Company) is a business that sources, processes and trades rice. The Company also manufactures rice food products used in stockfeed, and imports and distributes specialty food products.
Pinned worker's injuries preventable
Jeld-Wen Glass Australia Pty Ltd (the Company) operates a glass processing factory in Rowville, south-east Melbourne. On 9 August 2016, an employee was using a crane to move large glass blocks to a storage rack.
'Borrowed' skid steer results in fatality
In June 2015, Phelpsys Constructions was performing landscaping works at a residential property. On 9 June, after work had finished, the site supervisor left a skid steer that was used for earthmoving in the garage of the property owner with the intention of returning to collect it at a later date.
Fines increased on appeal
Mac Farms Pty Ltd manages six banana farms in Queensland. Around 50% of its employees are backpackers completing their mandatory farm work. Mac Plant Pty Ltd owns and supplies machinery including tractors to the farm operator.
$400,000 penalty for overdose
Ambulance Victoria paramedics are regularly required to administer the drugs morphine and fentanyl for pain relief. Ambulance Victoria had a system of work in place for the disposal of leftover pain relief drugs
Policies didn't incorporate relevant Australian Standards
Don’t Stop the Party (Company) operates a business specialising in hiring out, installing and dismantling jumping castles. In 2017, one of the Company’s jumping castles was dislodged by a gust of wind and tumbled 50 metres away with a child inside.
Huge fines for removing equipment's safety features
A recent NSW case has highlighted the significant penalties that will be imposed by a court if a business modifies equipment to purposely remove in-built safety features.
Worker 'scalped' in conveyor belt incident
In 2015, an employee of Broadspectrum (Australia) Pty Ltd (Company) was on a worksite gathering materials from a rack that was located outdoors and had corroded over time. The activity resulted in the rack collapsing and the employee suffering a fatal head injury.
Rack collapse causes death and costs company almost $300,000
In 2015, an employee of Broadspectrum (Australia) Pty Ltd (Company) was on a worksite gathering materials from a rack that was located outdoors and had corroded over time. The activity resulted in the rack collapsing and the employee suffering a fatal head injury.
Kerosene fireball engulfs worker
In 2015, CRS NSW (Company) was sealing a driveway at a worksite in Wagga Wagga. The cold weather solidified some spilled substance on the side of the company vehicle.
High-risk explosion injures two workers
Two workers were decanting all-purpose thinners from a leaking 1,000L bulk container into another bulk container. The leaking container was resting on a pair of forklift tines during the decanting process.