Old fashioned machinery still needs modern OHS

Old machinery is not exempt from current workplace safety laws and SafeWork SA is urging firms to review and update safety procedures for older plant and equipment as a priority.

The call follows news of a decision handed down this week in the SA Industrial Relations Court. An engineering company was fined $12,000 over an accident in which a process worker had his right index finger crushed.

The company manufactures parts for vintage car engines and uses old technology due to the nature of the parts manufactured.

The court heard the injured worker was operating a "pin borer' to drill holes, for which there was no adequate guarding nor even written instructions on its operation. As a result, he caught his finger between a clamp and piston on the machine.

The magistrate described the incident as a wake-up call to the company, citing "complacency" as the reason behind it.

"This case stresses the need for a systematic approach to health and safety in all workplaces," said SafeWork SA executive director, Michele Patterson.

"Even an old machine needs modern safety precautions, and a thorough hazard identification and risk assessment process should have detected the problem."