SafeWork NSW has convicted and fined multinational earthmoving equipment company Komatsu, after one of its employees was seriously injured while servicing a bulldozer.

The field service technician was reinstalling a cooling system on the bulldozer when a 250kg ‘belly plate’ fell on his face and head. The worker suffered multiple severe injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.

The Court found the risk of a worker suffering serious injury or death as a result of being struck or crushed by the belly plate of a bulldozer was obvious and known. However, the company had not implemented a safe work procedure for the work being carried out, nor had it provided appropriate information, instruction and training to its workers. The Court found this could have been done with little or no cost.

Komatsu Australia Pty Ltd was fined $375,000. The company can appeal the decision.