A meat processing co-operative has been fined $785,000 (and ordered to pay more than $5700 in costs) over the death of a worker at a Katanning abattoir in 2022.
Western Australian Meat Marketing Co-operative Ltd (WAMMCO) pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing the death of a worker and was fined in the Albany Magistrates Court yesterday.
In December 2022, an abattoir worker was killed after becoming entangled in an item of plant known as a ‘cake press’ while working at the Katanning Abattoir operated as part of the WAMMCO co-operative.
The Katanning Abattoir processes lamb for human consumption and by-products for animal feed and biofuel. The incident occurred in the ‘rendering shed’, an area where products not intended for human consumption were processed.
The worker was carrying out a daily shutdown procedure for which a work instruction was to be followed.
The process involved the worker emptying hessian bags of meat meal weighing 25-30kg into an open hopper to clean out the cake press which contained paddles that needed to be rotating during the procedure.
While in the process of emptying a bag into the hopper, the worker was drawn into the large opening of the cake press, suffering fatal crush injuries.
WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said after the court case that effective guarding on moving parts of machinery was crucial in maintaining a safe workplace.
“The machinery involved in this incident had a large unguarded opening with moving parts inside and no protection for workers having to empty heavy loads into it,” Ms North said.
“As a result of this incident, the company installed a post box-style guard on the cake press with a hinged door and guards on the sides to prevent a person accessing the rotating paddles.
“This incident resulted in improvements to safety in this workplace, but at the cost of the tragic loss of a worker’s life.
“It presents an important reminder to all workplaces with machinery of the importance of guarding, particularly in the manufacturing sector.”
The code of practice “Safeguarding of machinery and plant” – available on WorkSafe’s website - outlines the hazards associated with machinery, including guarding.
WorkSafe has recently conducted inspections at most abattoirs in Western Australia and issued compliance notices where guarding or other safety controls were inadequate.