Heavy fines after tractor fatality

A total of $376,250 in fines has been imposed by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission sitting in Court Session following the death of a worker at a poultry farm in Sydney's outer west.

Poultry producer Steggles Ltd was fined $159,250 and labour hire company Network Personnel Ltd was fined $217,000 after both pleaded guilty to breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983. The man died on 25 July 2000 while operating a tractor at Steggles' poultry farm at Luddenham to transport eggs from the production shed to the fumigation area. The deceased had been found pinned between the right rear wheel of the tractor and a water tank stand. There were no witnesses to the incident. The court heard that the worker had received no training in the use of the tractor's hand throttle, and had not been provided with written instructions on how to operate the vehicle in either English or his first language, Cambodian.

In imposing sentence, Justice Boland said: "Any person engaged in hiring out their employees needs to understand that they have the same responsibilities as other employers in respect of occupational health and safety, and if they fail in that regard they face very significant financial penalty." WorkCover NSW Chief Executive Officer, Jon Blackwell commented "This tragic incident highlights the importance of developing safe work practices and ensuring that workers are appropriately trained and supervised."