Timber company fined $385K after conveyor crushing

In Western Australia (WA), a timber processing company has been fined $385,000 and ordered to pay $5976.70 in costs after an 2022 incident in which a worker’s arm became trapped in a conveyor, crushing and degloving it.

The company, Wesbeam Pty Ltd (a laminated veneer lumber manufacturer and distributor), was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to failing to ensure that fixtures, fittings or plant were safe and, by that failure, causing serious harm to the worker.

The incident occurred in April 2022, when a Wesbeam employee who was monitoring conveyors in the control room of the company’s Neerabup premises left that room to attend to a blockage. He attended the top of the waste bark conveyor and his right arm became trapped in the conveyor.

Crushing and degloving occurred, and resulted in a series of surgeries, several follow-up treatments and significant ongoing pain. The conveyor had been fitted with guard panels, but several of these had been modified by the company so they were hinged at the top to allow access to the conveyor.

There was a gap at the bottom of several of the hinged panels, including around the drive roller, and the gaps exposed nip points, which were a hazard — there being a risk of a worker being drawn into the nip points and suffering crush and entanglement injuries.

“This is a reminder to all workplaces that effective guarding of all moving parts of machinery is crucial in maintaining a safe workplace,” WorkSafe WA Commissioner Sally North said.

“I also urge employers to ensure that procedures are in place for isolating machinery during maintenance and cleaning and that all workers are aware of these procedures and the need to follow them.

“The injured worker had not isolated the conveyor in the control room before he left and there was no emergency stop control at the top of the conveyor and within his reach.

“As a result of this incident, the company installed interlocked fencing around the log yard plant, including the waste bark conveyor. Also installed was full-length guarding around the drive roller of the conveyor with holding screws that could only be removed using tools.

“This case has resulted in improvements to health and safety management in this workplace, but at the cost of ongoing suffering to the injured worker.

“Importantly, it presents a reminder to all workplaces with machinery of the importance of guarding and safety during any type of maintenance activity.”

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