Company and director fined over $2 million for reckless conduct

The following is an abridgement of an article originally published on the WorkSafe Victoria website.

An industrial component manufacturer and its director have been convicted and fined a total of $2.24 million and the director placed on a five year Community Corrections Order after an apprentice was seriously injured in Victoria.

Apprentice suffers serious head injury from lathe

The company and its sole director pleaded guilty to breaching the Occupational Health and Safety Act for recklessly engaging in conduct that placed a person in danger of serious injury and failing to provide or maintain safe systems of work.

The incident occurred in October 2021, when the sole director directed the 20-year-old apprentice to use a plastic sleeve to steady lengths of steel pipe that he was threading on a lathe at the company’s workshop.

The apprentice was holding the plastic sleeve on the end of a pipe that protruded nearly 1.5 metres from the rear spindle of the lathe and was struck when the pipe bent and whipped. He was placed in an induced coma, airlifted to hospital and underwent surgery for serious head injuries.

WorkSafe investigation finds multiple safety breaches

A WorkSafe investigation found the director should have been aware of the risk and that it was reasonably practicable to ensure that covers were fixed to the lathe to prevent pipes that protruded from being threaded, or that a fixed steady was used to support such pipes and an exclusion zone used to restrict access to the danger area near the pipe.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer said overhanging work pieces were a well-known safety risk when using lathes.

“It is incredibly frustrating that this employer had several control measures to eliminate or reduce the risk available but simply chose not to use them.”

“The significant penalties for this company and director reflect the life-altering impact this devastating incident has had on a vulnerable apprentice who was at the very start of his career.”

How to manage risks when using metal turning lathes

To manage risks when using metal turning lathes, duty holders should:

• Install appropriate guarding to prevent employees from being struck by projectiles or becoming entangled in moving or protruding parts such as drive mechanisms, lead and feed screws, chucks and the workpiece.
• Ensure chucks, faceplates, couplings and clamps are compatible with the lathe and designed so there are no catch points, and worn or damaged tools are removed and not used.
• When oversized workpieces are machined, ensure a bar feeder or fixed/travelling steady is used to support protruding pieces, or modify lathe speeds to ensure protruding pieces do not bend.
• Create a restricted zone around the lathe operator and use suitable barriers and signage to stop employees from unnecessarily entering the work area, including the area around any oversized workpiece.
• Ensure suitably identified controls, including an emergency stop button/pedal, are within easy access of operator and away from the working zone.
• Ensure all operators are appropriately trained and competent before beginning work.
• Provide employees with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as steel-capped boots and safety glasses and ensure no gloves or loose-fitting clothing is worn when operating or cleaning the lathe.

For more information on the safe use of metal turning lathes click here. Employers should always formalise risk hazard management with a proper work health and safety records management system. Many workplaces can benefit from dedicated software solutions to reduce human error and systematise procedures.

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Sources

Record $2.1 million fine over apprentice's serious head injury by WorkSafe Victoria, 10th November, 2023.

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