A South Australian juice company has been fined $120,000 after an employee was scalped in a workplace incident. The incident occurred when the woman was instructed to clear a blockage from a conveyor belt. Alexandra Trandafil, an 18-year-old working at a Nippy's Waikerie Producers Pty Ltd packing shed in South Australia's Riverland, had her entire scalp torn from her head in November 2020. The incident was described as "serious and permanent" and had a "profound impacted [the victim], her family, partner and friend" in an online judgement published by the SA Employment Tribunal.
The company pleaded guilty and received a criminal conviction for failing to comply with its health and safety duty. In the days following the incident, the young woman had an unsuccessful scalp reattachment. She has since had multiple surgical procedures and requires ongoing treatment.
Magistrate Eaton said the machinery was left on when the worker reached down to retrieve fallen fruit. This led to her hair being pulled into an unguarded sprocket and drive-chain system. She said in an assessment undertaken by the company in September 2013 identified a risk of possible injury to "hands and hair" from unguarded moving parts.
Source: abc.net.au