Arborist Peter Van Der Pasch fined $25k after Alice Springs worker hit by jury-rigged wood chipper hood
The court heard a bolt used in reattaching the hood was missing and it was only held in place by a fan belt when it flew off and struck the man, causing serious injuries.
Northern Territory
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An Alice Springs arborist has copped a $25,000 fine after one of his employees was struck by the jury-rigged hood of a woodchipper held in place by a fan belt and seriously injured.
Peter Van Der Pasch, trading as Petals Pruning Perfection and Tree Removals, pleaded guilty in the Alice Springs Local Court to two counts of failing to comply with a health and safety duty by exposing two of his workers to a risk of death or serious injury.
NT WorkSafe’s investigation found Van Der Pasch and the two workers were removing tree branches at a private residence in November 2022 when the incident occurred.
The probe found the machinery had been damaged almost two months earlier following a road incident and subsequent in-house repairs had failed to return the machine to a safe standard.
Despite a worker raising safety concerns after noticing a bolt used in the repairs was missing and the fact the hood was only held in place by the fan belt, the wood chipper was still used on the day.
NT WorkSafe executive director Peggy Cheong said this incident was a timely reminder for all employers to take all safety concerns seriously and take immediate steps to address the issues.
“This incident could have been avoided if the wood chipper hood was fixed properly, when the issue was raised four days before the incident,” she said.
“The incident is also a timely reminder for all employers to not attempt in-house repairs or maintenance unless the worker you are asking to do the work is competent.
“Under the work health and safety laws, a competent person is defined as a person who has acquired through training, qualification or experience the knowledge and skills to carry out the task.
“It is vital that workers tasked with maintaining or repairing machinery or equipment are competent to ensure the machinery or equipment are safe to use.”
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Originally published as Arborist Peter Van Der Pasch fined $25k after Alice Springs worker hit by jury-rigged wood chipper hood
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