Vic abattoir fined after worker suffered fall from height injuries

The Ararat Magistrates' Court has convicted and fined a mutton abattoir after a worker suffered head injuries when he fell from a raised platform.

After pleading guilty to failing to maintain safe systems of work, the abattoir was fined $35,000 and ordered to pay costs of $2,930.

The court was told that workers would stand on a 1.5-metre-high platform to load refrigerated shipping containers with boxes of mutton. On 2 Nov 2019, a worker fell from this platform and hit his head on the ground. He spent two days in hospital.

An investigation conducted by WorkSafe Victoria found workers were exposed to a risk of a fall from height because the raised platform was near an unprotected edge with no fall protection in place.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer said employers need to do everything possible to prevent the risk of falls from heights.

"Already this year there has been one death due to workplace falls. That comes after eight deaths and 1,307 injury claims for falls from heights last year," Dr Beer said.

"Thankfully, nobody was killed in this case, but it serves as a warning to all employers to ensure they take proper measures to reduce or eliminate such risks."

Source WorkSafe Victoria website.