The Case

WorkSafe Victoria v Makmur Enterprises Pty Ltd (2023)

Makmur Enterprises Pty Ltd (Makmur) produces and supplies frozen foods to the retail and food-service sectors. The food processing plant includes a series of conveyors.

On 25 June 2019, an employee was tasked to clean the conveyor. The employee was crouching under the belt to clean the roller when their cloth dropped to the ground. As they were picking it up, the employee put their left hand near the roller, and it got caught between the roller and the belt. The employee reached across to an emergency stop button while other workers cut the belt and pulled the employee’s hand out of where it was jammed. The employee sustained swelling to the wrist and redness around the area.