Clayton’s Towing Service found guilty of workplace incident

A major Sunshine Coast business will ‘carefully consider its appeal rights’ after it was found guilty of a workplace incident during the 2019 Sunshine Coast fires.

Clayton’s Towing Service has been found guilty of a workplace incident from 2019.

A major towing company will “consider its appeal rights” after it was found guilty of a workplace incident following a lengthy court hearing.

Clayton’s Towing Service was found guilty of failing to comply with workplace health and safety duty (category two) by magistrate Rod Madsen in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on February 20.

The incident relates to a fire truck recovery operation at Lake Cooroibah in 2019 where a rural firefighter was injured by a winch rope and snatch block.

This follows a lengthy hearing after a plea of not guilty was entered in 2023 and will proceed to sentencing at a later date.

A Clayton’s Towing spokesman said the company acknowledged the verdict but was “disappointed” with the outcome and would “consider its appeal rights”.

The spokesman went on to describe Clayton’s Towing’s “unwavering commitment” to the highest safety standards.

“The company believes it complied with all safety requirements during the incident in question, which was during a declared emergency area with rapidly changing hazards,” the spokesman said.

“We stand by our team’s actions on the day of the incident.

“Our operator was experienced, highly trained, and followed all safety protocols we had in place.

“We firmly believe we met all our obligations under the law and that is why we defended the charge.”

The spokesman said Clayton’s Towing remained committed to its high safety standard and declared the incident in 2019 did not reflect its “long-standing reputation for excellence in heavy vehicle recovery”.

“As we move forward, we will continue to provide reliable and safe service to the community, just as we have done for over half a century,” he said.

“The company appreciates the continued support of its customers and partners throughout this process and will provide further updates as the appeal progresses.”