SA business hit with large fine due to safety lapses leading to apprentice’s death

SA Business Hit With $840,000 Fine After Apprentice's Death From Crane Failure

A Riverland-based manufacturing firm has been fined $840,000 by the South Australian Employment Court following an apprentice's death in 2021. SafeWork SA laid charges after finding serious failures in workplace safety practices.

Summary: What Happened

• An apprentice died in February 2021 after a crane cable failure at a Riverland manufacturing site.
• A stainless steel tank weighing over three tonnes fell onto the worker, causing fatal crush injuries.
• SafeWork SA found the crane, along with other plant equipment operated by the business, had not received regular maintenance.
• Court penalised the company $840,000 for breaching its duty under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012.

Details of the Incident

SafeWork SA charged the company following an investigation that revealed negligence in ensuring workers were protected from potential fatal or severe harm, as outlined under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012.

The incident happened in February 2021, when a failure in the cable of a gantry crane caused a stainless steel tank, exceeding three tonnes in weight, to descend upon a worker, resulting in his death by crushing. Gantry cranes and similar lifting plant carry inherent hazardous risk when maintenance schedules aren't followed, and this tragedy highlights exactly why routine inspection cannot be treated as optional.

"Our investigations found the gantry crane, and others operated by the company, had not been subjected to regular maintenance," SafeWork SA said.

Call for Industry-Wide Safety Improvements

SafeWork SA Executive Director Glenn Farrell called on everyone with a role in worker safety to take a moment to think about how they can improve, in order to avoid tragic outcomes stemming from unsafe practices.

"It should not take a serious incident or death to trigger improvements being made to protect workers from harm," Farrell said.

Why Regular Plant Maintenance Matters

This case underscores a broader risk facing sites where heavy lifting equipment, electrical systems, and other plant machinery operate daily. Crane failures rarely happen without warning signs, and businesses carry a legal duty to ensure equipment undergoes consistent servicing.

Industries relying on cranes, hoists, and other mechanical plant, including automotive manufacturing, face similar hazardous conditions if maintenance protocols slip. Electrical faults combined with mechanical wear can compound risk exponentially, particularly where plant operates under heavy load. Businesses managing electrical systems alongside crane operations should treat both maintenance streams with equal seriousness, given how quickly a single electrical fault or crane failure can escalate into a fatality.

Employers seeking guidance on building robust safety frameworks can review our guide to starting with a safety management plan in Australia, which outlines practical steps for reducing workplace hazards before they cause harm.

Building a Safer Workplace Culture

Businesses across construction, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors should treat this case as a reminder that maintenance schedules, health monitoring, and hazard identification are not administrative checkboxes — they're life-saving obligations.

A well-documented Health and Safety Management Plan helps businesses formalise inspection routines for plant, cranes, and electrical infrastructure, reducing exposure to preventable incidents.

For further reading on how other companies have faced consequences following fatal workplace failures, see our coverage of the NSW company slapped with a record fine over a wood chipper death.

Businesses looking for support implementing compliant safety documentation can visit our support page for further assistance, or explore our safety software resources to streamline hazard tracking and compliance reporting.

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