Waste management company faces WHS charge over Sydney fire incident

A national waste management company is facing charges for violating federal work health and safety laws due to a fire incident that seriously injured a worker two years ago. The worker was operating machinery at the time of the incident.

A single charge has been brought by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions against the company alleging a failure to fulfill its ‘primary duty of care’ as required by the Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act).

The worker's face and hand were severely burned during the April 2019 incident in western Sydney.

According to Comcare, their investigation found ‘alleged failures in providing a safe system of work relating to the maintenance and operation of the machinery.’

The case is scheduled to be mentioned at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on 4 June 2024.

First published here.