Wades Softwoods fined $50,000 for breach after worker loses finger

A Maryborough sawmill has been fined tens of thousands of dollars after an employee’s finger was crushed and cut off in a workplace accident.

Director Robin Wade appeared before Maryborough Magistrates Court on behalf of Wades Softwoods and pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with health and safety duty, with the failure exposing an individual to the risk of death or serious injury or illness.

A Maryborough sawmill has been fined $50,000 after a worker lost a finger in an incident involving a multisaw.

Director Robin Wade appeared before Maryborough Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty on behalf of Wades Softwoods to one count of failing to comply with health and safety duty, with the failure exposing an individual to the risk of serious injury.

The court heard that the incident happened on July 27, 2021, when Anthony Wilson was working with another employee to clean a multisaw.

Wades Softwoods had failed to ensure appropriate controls were in place to address the risk of workers coming into contact with moving parts on a multisaw, the court heard.

The multisaw required cleaning at least three times a day, the court was told.

To clean it, one worker would use a spanner to remove nuts and spaces before giving another worker the all clear and holding up both hands to show they were clear of the equipment.

The operator would then press a button on the multisaw to raise it, which allowed the machine to be cleaned.

The spanner which was being used would sometimes get stuck when trying to undo the nuts because of the limited space.

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Cleaning procedures were in place and workers were trained but had different understandings of it, the court heard, particularly for the need for both hands to be held up to indicate all clear.

On the day of incident, Mr Wilson was working with a colleague to prepare the multisaw for cleaning.

When he was undoing the nuts, his spanner became stuck.

His left index finger was crushed between the nut and the machine as the other worker elevated the machine before Mr Wilson was ready.

He called out for help, but in the noisy workshop, no one could hear him.

When he tried to pull his finger out of the machine, it became amputated, the court heard.

It was unable to be reattached when he later underwent surgery.

Mr Wilson explained the incident’s mental and physical impacts on him in a statement submitted to the court.

The court heard the sawmill should have eliminated or minimised the risks by implementing an engineering control on the multisaw to ensure it was unable to operated unless both workers were ready.

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Engineering controls had been installed at the sawmill following the incident, requiring the worker to use both hands to press buttons before the multisaw could be raised or lowered at a cost of $860.

The nut was also replaced to give the spanner more room to move.

The court heard the procedure that had been in place to clean the multisaw had been “entirely inadequate”.

The frequency of the cleaning task also meant there was a frequency of exposure to risk, the court was told.

The court heard there had been co-operation from Wades Softwoods with the investigation and there had been an early guilty plea.

There were no previous contraventions under the Work Health and Safety Act.

Wades Softwoods was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay costs of $1601.40.

No conviction was recorded.