Fatal conveyor belt incident prompts WorkSafe safety reminder

Fatal conveyor belt incident prompts WorkSafe safety reminder

WorkSafe reminds workplaces about the risks of working with conveyor belts after a worker suffered fatal injuries after getting caught in a conveyor belt. This fatal accident has renewed attention across industry on how conveyor systems are guarded and maintained.

WorkSafe says the conveyor belt was manufactured overseas and was not adequately guarded to prevent workers from accessing moving parts. Poor guarding remains one of the most common hazards linked to conveyor-related incidents throughout industry, and this case highlights why ongoing vigilance matters for every plant operator.

“Conveyor belt systems are used on poultry farms to transport eggs and manure waste. These systems can involve a complex network of belts, drive motors and rollers,” WorkSafe states in the alert.

Employer duty to manage plant hazards

The safety watchdog reminds employers that they have a duty under the Victorian OHS Act to identify and manage risks associated with plants in the workplace. Similar plant safety obligations apply broadly across Australia, meaning businesses in every state should review how their own conveyors and related equipment are guarded.

Managing conveyor risk effectively involves several key steps:

• Identifying pinch points, rollers and moving parts that present entanglement hazards
• Fitting adequate guarding to prevent access to moving plant components
• Conducting regular inspections of imported or overseas-manufactured plant to confirm compliance
• Training staff on isolation procedures before undertaking maintenance work

These steps reflect broader lessons already seen elsewhere in industry. A related case detailed in our article on the New Zealand company fined following fatal conveyor belt incident shows how inadequate guarding continues to create serious hazards for workers operating near conveyor plant.

Broader lessons for health and safety practice

Fatal incidents involving plant and machinery are a recurring health and safety concern, prompting regulators to issue reminders across multiple industry sectors. Our coverage of a fatal incident involving a garbage truck similarly highlights how plant hazards can arise wherever workers interact with moving machinery. Likewise, a fatal firework blast prompting a safety alert underscores the recurring theme that inadequate risk controls can have devastating consequences for health and safety outcomes.

Businesses seeking practical tools to strengthen plant safety practices can review resources such as our Workplace Safety Rules template or our Electrical Safety Checklist, both designed to help identify hazards before they cause harm.

Read the full safety alert here.