WorkSafe

A construction company has been fined $250,000 (and ordered to pay more than $6000 in costs) after the death of a 19-year-old worker in 2021.

PAWS Construction and Maintenance Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace and was fined in the Fremantle Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

In November 2021, a PAWS Construction employee died after suffering a traumatic head injury when he was struck by a sea container drawbridge ramp weighing around 250kg. At the time he was assisting his supervisor to lower the ramp.

Big Bell Gold Operations Pty Ltd was today fined $945,000 and ordered to pay $20,000 in costs after a truck fatally struck a worker at its Big Bell underground gold mine near Cue in Western Australia’s Mid West. 

WorkSafe temporarily shut down a Western Australian open-pit iron ore mine after a routine safety inspection in July 2025 uncovered inadequate emergency response capabilities. 

Inspectors from WA’s workplace health and safety regulator issued a notice prohibiting the operation of the mine’s heavy vehicles and limiting the movement of its light vehicles after they found the site—located more than 100 kilometres from the volunteer-staffed nearest responding agency—had no mobile plant and vehicle rescue equipment and minimal apparatus to deal with any emergency situation. 

A construction company has been fined $750,000 and a company director fined $45,000 over an incident in which a worker from another business was seriously injured in a fall.

CASM Construction Pty Ltd (administrators appointed) pleaded guilty to failing to ensure workers were not exposed to hazards and, by that failure, causing serious harm to a worker, and was fined in Northam Magistrates Court on Monday.

A company director also pleaded guilty to neglect as a director and was fined during the same court appearance. He was granted a spent conviction.

Quarrying services company Kimberley Quarry Pty Ltd was today fined $167,000 after a screening machine operator fell more than three metres while changing heavy screens and sustained multiple injuries, including internal bleeding, ligament damage and a spinal fracture.

Kimberley Quarry pleaded guilty in the Geraldton Magistrates Court to two offences under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA)—exposing workers to a risk of death, injury or harm to health and failing to preserve the site of a notifiable incident.

A concrete manufacturing company has been fined $580,000 (and ordered to pay $6180 in costs) after a worker was seriously injured at its Neerabup concrete batching plant.

Ransberg Pty Ltd - trading as WA Premix – pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace and, by that failure, causing serious harm to a worker, and was fined in the Joondalup Magistrates Court last week.

In December 2020, a worker at the plant suffered serious harm when a large waste pit gate fell onto him.

A hay processing company in regional WA has been fined $595,000 (and ordered to pay $5510.00 in costs) over a serious injury to a worker.

HA Hold Co Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace and, by that failure, causing serious harm to a worker, and was fined in the Northam Magistrates Court on April 16.

In January 2023, a leading hand was working under a labour hire arrangement at the hay processing plant at Carani in the Wheatbelt, operating a small hay press.

A salt processing company has been fined $875,000 over the death of a worker at its North Coogee facility on June 16, 2022.

W.A.S.S. Nominees Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain safe plant at the workplace and, by that failure, causing the death of a worker, and was fined in the Fremantle Magistrates Court last week.

The worker, an experienced plant operator, died when he was caught in the mechanism of a salt pit conveyor.

Underground mining services company Northern Star Mining Services Pty Ltd was today fined $750,000 and ordered to pay $3211 in costs after a drill operator sustained spinal and leg injuries while working on heavy machinery.

The company pleaded guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court to two offences under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) for causing serious harm to a worker and exposing workers to the risk of death, injury or harm to health.