Prosecution Details

Being an employer, failed to provide and maintain, so far as was practicable, a working environment in which its employees were not exposed to hazards and in particular it failed to provide and maintain plant such that, so far as was practicable, its employees were not exposed to hazards; contrary to sections 19(1)(a) and 19(6) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984.

The defendant operated a textiles business from premises in Kewdale.

On 30 August 2001 an employee was working as leading hand machine operator at the defendant's premises. The employee worked as part of a team operating plant including two Garnett machines which are used to process material into a fine sheet of felt.

The employee noticed a build up of material near the scraper on one of the Garnett machines. The machine was guarded except for an area around the scraper which was approximately 800 millimetres in height and 400 millimetres wide. In the area immediately above and to the left of the opening there was a series of metal rollers. The employee reached into the area to manually remove the excess material that he believed would have caused a blockage. In so doing the left sleeve of the employee's jumper became caught by the teeth of a feeder roller. The employee's left hand was pulled into the roller and was severed resulting in the total loss of his left hand.

The defendant pleaded guilty.