MFCT Pty Ltd, trading as Mildura Fruit Company, has entered into an enforceable undertaking after facing two charges for failing to ensure a safe workplace at its Mildura facility. The case was heard at the Mildura Magistrates' Court on 27 October. WorkSafe Victoria may reinstate the charges if the undertaking is breached.
The charges relate to a July 2023 incident in which a worker sustained finger injuries while cleaning near operating conveyor machinery. The worker attempted to remove fruit lodged between the conveyor belt and a bar, first using a squeegee and then his gloved hand, which became caught in the moving parts.
WorkSafe alleged that the company failed to implement engineering controls to prevent access to moving machinery and did not have a lock-out tag-out procedure in place to ensure equipment was powered down during cleaning operations.
Under the enforceable undertaking, valued at approximately AU$340,000, the company has committed to several measures. These include upgrading forklifts with blue halo lights that create a three-metre pedestrian exclusion zone, trialling light detection and range warning technology, donating AU$30,000 to Citrus Australia to support safety education at grower events, and contributing AU$240,000 to the Mildura Base Public Hospital Foundation to fund a mobile skin cancer screening vehicle.
WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said employers are responsible for ensuring workers are protected from machinery risks, including those posed by conveyor belts and forklifts.
"Training is always vital to a safe workplace where plant is used, but it is also necessary to eliminate risk by reducing the number of workers in close proximity to these machines while they're in operation," Jenkin said.
The regulator advised that employers managing machinery should identify hazards, assess and control risks, provide training in workers' first languages, maintain compliant guarding, and regularly inspect and service equipment.
For more information:
WorkSafe Victoria
Tel: +61 (0) 438 786 968
Email: [email protected]
www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
