Worker trapped in machinery (19 February 2020)
Date of incident: 19 February 2020
A 34-year-old worker was shovelling ice into a horizontal screw auger conveyor at a poultry processing plant at Tahmoor when his leg became trapped.
The investigation
The investigation
- SafeWork NSW inspectors responded to the incident.
- SafeWork NSW commenced an investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of the incident.
Safety information
Businesses are reminded of their duty to identify hazards and manage risks to health and safety in accordance with the provisions of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017.
Consider ‘reasonably practicable’ control measures to manage the risks associated with working on or around machinery.
Make sure you separate workers from moving machinery by having:
- permanently fixed guarding, where access is not required during operation
- interlocked guarding, where access is required during operation
If these options are not practicable, make sure the guarding can only be removed by using a tool.
Also, make sure the guarding:
- is solid and securely mounted
- is difficult to by-pass or disable, whether deliberately or accidentally
- can be removed for maintenance and cleaning tasks – but the machine can’t be restarted until the guarding is replaced
- doesn’t create a new hazard
- doesn’t make the machine more difficult to operate, which may result in the guard being removed or disabled.
Further information
- Guide to machine safety
- Machine guarding safety pack (factsheets, posters, toolbox talk form)
- Machine safety videos
- Code of practice for managing the risks of plant in the workplace