Midfield Meat fined $90,000 after forklift accident at Warrnambool abattoir

Midfield Meat has been fined $90,000 after a forklift driver struck a worker at the Warrnambool abattoir. But it wasn’t the first time it had happened.

Midfield Meat International was fined over a workplace accident at the Warrnambool abattoir.

Midfield Meat International has been fined $90,000 over a workplace accident at Warrnambool abattoir which happened 12 days after it was convicted over a similar incident.

The Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court was on Thursday told an abattoir worker was struck by a forklift on March 20, 2019, suffering nerve damage to his leg.

The accident happened after Midfield was convicted on March 8, 2019, over a similar accident at the abattoir in October, 2017.

The court was told Midfield, who pleaded guilty on Thursday, had four prior convictions for breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Magistrate John Lesser described the incident as an “accident waiting to happen”.

“Where you have an overlap between equipment such as forklift drivers together with pedestrian workers working in a similar area, it’s fundamental that every effort has been made ... which are reasonable, proportionate and practical,” Mr Lesser said.

Mr Lesser acknowledged Midfield took its occupational health and safety obligations seriously, however believed more could have been done to lessen the risks of the accident happening.

“I absolutely accept the view that Midfield is a good corporate citizen in general, that is operating in an environment where the likelihood of industrial accidents is always there,” he said.

“I don’t think for a moment that they have shirked that responsibility.”

Defence counsel Stephen Russell said Midfield had a traffic management plan at the time of the accident which included designated walkways, a three-metre exclusion zone, yellow flashing lights to indicate forklifts are in use, forklifts to stay stationary if pedestrians are nearby and the need for eye-to-eye contact between forklift drivers and pedestrians.

“It was unfortunately not strictly enforced by Midfield supervisors, who were on the spot. Not only were there supervisors from Midfield but there were supervisors from the labour hire company,” Mr Russell said.

“If the traffic management plant had been complied with, then this accident wouldn’t have happened.”

The court was told Midfield’s traffic management plan was reviewed by an outside consultant after the accident which led to bollards and chains being introduced to prevent forklifts from entering areas where pedestrians were working.

Mr Russell outlined how Midfield had previously introduced many industry-leading health and safety measures such as its drug and alcohol policy, introduction of cut-resistant gloves and blade-stop bandsaws.

Midfield was also ordered to pay $2000 in costs.

Originally published as Midfield Meat fined $90,000 after forklift accident at Warrnambool abattoir