Vic; Heavy fine after wroker's fingers severed

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2001
Vic; Heavy fine after wroker's fingers severed

MELBOURNE, Aug 8 AAP - A Victorian pallet factory was fined $75,000 today after a 16-year-old
boy had two fingers cut off in a press which had the safety guard disabled.

A spokeswoman for the Victorian WorkCover Authority said the fine was the heaviest
penalty ever imposed on a Victorian company for the loss of a worker's fingers.

Warragul firm Nationwide Pallets Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to a criminal breach of the
Occupational Health and Safety Act in failing to provide a safe workplace and safe equipment.

Dandenong Magistrates Court heard that 16-year-old Michael Hope had two fingers on
his left hand cut off in December 1999 when the power press he was operating unexpectedly
double-stroked.

The court was told that factory workers routinely disengaged the machine's safety guard.

In imposing a $75,000 fine Magistrate Leonard Brear said having a dangerous machine
was a "gross breach of duty" by Nationwide Pallets Pty Ltd. The company should not have
allowed its staff to use the press in that fashion.

Michael's fingers were sewn back on and he has returned to work, the WorkCover spokeswoman said.

AAP ra/cjh/
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KEYWORD: FINGERS

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