Friday 26th March 2021

Lack of processes resulted in serious injuries. Woolworths Group Limited was successfully prosecuted by SafeWork South Australia after a bakery trolley fell onto a worker, causing serious injuries.

The incident occurred in August 2018 when a worker was moving a full bakery trolley from the supermarket's bakery department. While walking backwards and manoeuvring the trolley, the wheel on the two-metre-high trolley jammed, causing her to fall back, and the trolley landed on her.

She fractured her sternum, lumbar vertebrae, and tibia, along with soft tissue injuries. An investigation identified the wheels on the trolley were compromised due to deterioration, restricting the trolley's movement.

Despite having maintenance processes for other equipment, Woolworths did not have a process to inspect and maintain bakery trolleys. In the South Australian Employment Tribunal (SAET), Woolworths Group Ltd pleaded guilty for breaches of duties under section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA). A fine of $120,000 was imposed.

The original article can be viewed on the SafeWork SA website.

Inspectors Issue 91 Improvement Notices During Three-Day Blitz

During February 2021, inspectors from WorkSafe, Department of Health and Labour Hire Authority Victoria visited growers across the Shepparton region, part of a broader effort echoed elsewhere in Friday 19th March 2021 updates on regional compliance.

Purpose of these visits was to ensure growers complied with occupational health and safety regulations, staying COVID-safe and supporting vulnerable workers. Over a three-day operation, inspectors issued 91 improvement notices across 18 of the 22 properties inspected.

Common safety issues included:

• Lack of roll-over protection and helmets being worn on quad bikes
• Missing or broken guarding on tractor power take-offs and other machinery

Department of Health officers sighted a COVID Safe Plan at just over half of sites visited. COVID induction and training, worker "bubbles", cleaning schedules and record-keeping were among other common COVID issues identified.

Labour Hire Licensing Commissioner Steve Dargavel stated that "These site inspections were important because they helped identify providers that needed COVID Safe plans. By working with growers and providers to make sure they have compliant COVID Safe plans, we're protecting regional communities and the harvest."

More information on the visits can be found on the WorkSafe Victoria website.

Weekly Safety Roundup: Friday 26th March 2021

Australia's workplace safety landscape continues evolving, with these incidents from late March 2021 highlighting why robust maintenance processes and regulatory compliance remain critical for every business.

Organisations across Australia should review equipment inspection schedules regularly, ensuring no piece of machinery, from bakery trolleys to agricultural vehicles, falls outside a documented safety regime.

For further reading on workplace safety developments from this period, see our coverage of Friday 12th March 2021 and Friday 5th March 2021, which detail additional prosecutions and compliance actions taken during March 2021.