Peter Stoitse Transport fined for failing to train a worker who died while driving a truck

A transport company has been fined after admitting to their failure in training a driver who died when his truck rolled on the South Gippsland Highway.

Peter Stoitse Transport Mack milk tanker in Mirboo North. Picture: Google.

A milk transporting company has been fined $490,000 following the death of a driver when his truck rolled near Leongatha in Gippsland in 2018.

Peter Stoitse Transport was fined on Wednesday after the company pleaded guilty in the County Court to failure to provide necessary training, failure to maintain safe work systems and failure to notify Victorian WorkCover Authority after becoming aware of an incident which occurred at work.

The court heard the company “should have learned” after six previous incidents involving trucks rolling.

On May 26, 2018, Rodney Lunson, 50, lost control while driving on a curved section of the South Gippsland Highway.

He was driving a truck half-full of milk between Koonwarra and Meeniyan when he approached a bend in the road.

He slowed to 65km per hour but the truck rolled onto its right side and slid into a rock-walled embankment.

Mr Lunson died at the scene.

Judge Peter Lauritsen said during sentencing that he had “never read or heard a sadder statement” than the one Mr Lunson’s partner made to the court.

“Mr Lunson’s death has been a source of great anguish for her,” he said.

The court heard the company provided “limited training” for drivers on how to drive a “dynamic” load like milk that “sloshes” around when driving especially on windy roads, which their drivers were regularly travelling on.

“This kind of driving requires specialised training and knowledge,” Jude Lauritsen said.

Between 2009 and 2014, PST had six milk tank rollovers, one of these resulted in a fatality.

During sentencing the court heard the company had taken”significant steps” to improve their safety standards including selling their milk transport division at a “significant loss”.

Measures also included the installation of electronic systems which remind drivers of incomplete training and having vehicles fitted with GPS systems that alert management on things like driver's speeds and when they brake.

Following Mr Lunson’s death, VicRoads and WorkSafe inspected a fleet at the Leongatha depot where mechanical defects were discovered in all of the prime movers and four out of five of the tanker trailers.

Court documents reveal the defects involved braking, steering, chassis and suspension systems issues — the “most critical” systems which are “crucial” for its safe operation.

Four out of five of the prime movers had major defects which resulted in them being taken off the road.

The fifth prime mover received a minor defect notice while four of the tanker trailers were also taken off the road.

Court documents reveal in 2015 the company was inspected by VicRoads where “serious maintenance defects” were found and a defect notice was issued.

The court heard the company failed to notify authorities when one of their drivers underwent surgery after he received a laceration on his arm when his truck rolled over in 2018.

Judge Lauritsen fined the company $300,000 on the charge of failing to provide sufficient training, $150,000 for failure to maintain safe work systems and $40,000 for failing to notify WorkSafe.