$10,000 fine after worker hurt during scaffolding collapse

A LOCKYER Valley family business has been fined $10,000 after a worker was injured when scaffolding collapsed.

WORK SAFETY: Jason Hauser's company AG Marine was fined $10,000 over an accident in which an employee was injured. Picture: Ross Irby

A LOCKYER Valley family business has been fined $10,000 after a worker was injured when scaffolding collapsed.

With no previous offences, business owner Jason Anthony Hauser escaped a conviction in a Work Health and Safety prosecution.

Hauser, 43, and his company AG Marine Pty Ltd, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates Court to failing to comply with health and safety duty at Kingaroy on August 11, 2016.

Hauser's apprentice employee received a minor injury in the accident while doing work at Swickers Kingaroy Bacon Factory.

Prosecutor Trajce Cvetkovski said Hauser was both a worker and director of Gatton company AG Marine.

His then 20-year-old apprentice was injured when steel trusses collapsed.

Mr Cvetkovski said Hauser had not set an exclusion zone as required.

He said it was fortunate the worker did not suffer serious injuries.

"Mr Hauser is hands-on and he was involved in the work plan. It failed," he said.

Mr Cvetkovski said a lack of planning led to the collapse.

Under the safety act legislation the maximum penalty for a company was a $1.5 million fine. And $300,000 for a director.

In his submission on penalty Mr Cvetkovski said a fine ranging from $20,000-60,000 was appropriate for the company given the circumstances, with a fine ranging between $10,000 and $20,000 for Hauser.

He said such mechanisms of failure were taken seriously because workers could be exposed to risk, and this obligation to keep their workers safe must be met.

Defence barrister Stephen Kissick sought a good behaviour bond for Hauser and a fine for the company.

He said Hauser had been a company director for 18 years with a prefabrication and construction company and the apprentice tradesman received only a minor injury.

"He did take Friday off but returned to work on Monday," Mr Kissick said. "There were no serious injuries and (the injured worker) is still employed by him."

Magistrate Donna MacCallum said it was conceded by Hauser that no appropriate work practices were in place at the time, but changes have been made since the incident.

She said it was not a big company but it made a positive contribution to the community. The company was fined $10,000 and Hauser placed on a $10,000 good behaviour bond for 12 months. No convictions against either the owner or the company were recorded.