Yahoo Finance Sydney man crushed by dump truck, employer fined $90,000
A Sydney company has been penalised $90,000 after a staff member was left with serious injuries from being crushed under a dump truck.
SafeWork NSW this week revealed that the District Court of NSW handed down the sentence to Haines Bros Earthmoving Pty Ltd for “failing to maintain a safe working environment”.
The dump of the truck, which was carrying 30 tonnes of soil and gravel, was raised for the 26-year-old worker to perform repairs under it, when tragedy hit.
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“The dump body was not locked properly, causing it to lower down and crush the victim,” said SafeWork NSW executive director Tony Williams.
“By the time the dump body was raised, severe damage had already been done to the worker’s lower back and hands.”
According to SafeWork NSW, the court heard that the employer’s risk assessment the previous year did not address the scenario of a worker getting crushed under the dump of a truck.
Williams said the accident would have been preventable if the company had provided adequate safety training.
“He may have been able to identify safety measures such as ensuring the dump body was secured in the maximum holding position by lever and dump body locks,” he said.
Haines Bros may appeal the decision handed down on March 22.
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