Baker’s fingers amputated – employer cops $40,000 penalty

A bakery south-west of Melbourne was fined $40,000 for breaching the 2004 OHS Act after a worker's fingertips were amputated by a machine filling pastries with custard. The business pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for failing to provide and maintain safe plant and failing to provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision.

On 2 December 2015, the worker was operating a machine used to fill pastries with custard. The court heard that one of the worker’s tasks was to manually refill the machine because the filler pump was broken. The court was told that the company was aware the machine had been malfunctioning all day and decided to keep it in operation.

After noticing that the custard was not dispensing equally into the pastry casings, the worker reached into the machine to clear a blockage. His hand became stuck and the tips of three of his fingers were amputated.

Further the court heard that both his supervisor and line manager had left the factory before the incident. The worker told WorkSafe investigators that he had not been trained if a malfunction occurred.

Employers and business owners have a duty under the OHS Act to provide workers operating machinery or equipment with information, instruction, training and supervision.  Other duties of employers include the provision of adequately guarded machinery/equipment and requirements to complete risk assessments.

For more information on how to better comply with OHS Act, protect your people and investment contact ISOsafe today on 1300 789 132.

Queensland employer fined 180,000 after death of young worker

A Queensland transport company has been fined $180,000 for failing to comply with health and safety laws after a teenager was crushed to death operating a vehicle loading crane at Westside Christian College in 2012.

Head of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) Dr Simon Blackwood said this was a tragic example of a young employee desperately trying to please his boss, but way out of his depth – a situation the company could’ve easily avoided.

“Around 50 young Queenslanders a day – mostly young men suffer a compensable work injury, and one a day is permanently impaired,” Dr Blackwood said.

Since the tragedy, the company has stopped similar jobs and no longer uses the vehicle involved in the incident.

Magistrate David Shepherd said the young man died trying to do his best for his employer and had no doubt company bosses feel this matter very deeply and personally.

Dr Blackwood said for his family, this is closure. For everyone else, it’s a timely reminder to put measures in place to ensure safe working environments so that employees go home to their families every day.

"Young workers have a unique risk profile and it’s up to employers to consider this when managing them. A proper induction, plenty of support and much needed training are vital," he said.

Work health and safety laws require employers to:
•  identify the health and safety risks of particular work tasks and adopt procedures to eliminate or control them;
•  train workers in the procedures and provide them with any safety equipment they need;
•  ensure workers perform their tasks safely by providing training, supervision and support; and
•  encourage workers to speak to supervisors about any health and safety concerns.

Since July 2016, the Office of Industrial Relations has successfully completed 21 prosecutions in the courts, leading to fines totaling three quarters of a million dollars.

Over the same period, WHSQ issued 37 infringement notices with fines totaling more than $94,000, as well as 921 improvement notices and 265 prohibition notices.

For more information on managing young workers, contact ISOsafe at enquiries@isosafe.com.au. We support business owners; helping create safe and compliant workplaces.

10 good things ISO 9001 standards can do for small business

•    help you compete on a level playing field with bigger enterprises
•    open up export markets for your products and services
•    help you discover best business practices
•    will drive efficiency in your business operations
•    add credibility and confidence for your customers
•    open new business opportunities and sales
•    give you the competitive edge
•    make your brand name internationally recognized
•    help your company grow
•    enable a common “language” to be used across an industry sector
ISOsafe make ISO 9001 simple for business owners and employers. Contact us today for a fast free quote on 1300 789 132

ISO 9001:2015—An Introduction

ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised quality management system (QMS) standard. It comprises fundamental quality assurance practices that can be applied by any business. In the past ISO9001 has been hugely successful within the manufacturing sector, however, the latest iteration (version 5) has seen the standard heavily revised to appeal to businesses in all sectors.

Without a QMS, businesses have little chance of sustaining any improvements or innovations they might realise. ISO 9001:2015 helps organisations standardise operational functions from input, through to output whether a good or service is being delivered. With the inclusion of risk based thinking, it takes into consideration exogenous and isolated events that many businesses would not usually plan for.

The ISO 9001 standard leaves a great deal of discretion to the business in terms of how it will design its processes and procedures. This enables businesses to customize it to ensure individual success, instead of just blindly following a rigid set of rules.

If you are looking for better overall performance in your business, ISO 9001 is the key. Contact ISOsafe today at enquiries@isosafe.com.au to unlock your business’ true potential.

How to choose the right ISO 9001 consultant

To help you choose the right ISO 9001 consultant for your business, we’ve collated the top ten questions to ask at your next riders and runners meeting

✔ What is their experience in your particular industry? 

✔ What is their business experience beyond ISO 9001?

✔ What is their experience in other ISO standards?

✔ How many ISO 9001 implementation projects has the consultant finished successfully in the last two years?

✔ How many of their customers applied for certification, and how many were successfully ISO 9001 certified in their first attempt?

✔ What is their educational path in ISO 9001?

✔ Do they deliver ISO 9001 training?

✔ Can they show you examples of Quality Management System documentation that they have created for other customers?

✔ What is the total price of their services (make sure this includes everything: analysis, interviews, documentation development, training, transportation costs, etc.)?

✔ What are additional services that may become an added cost, from other providers?

Trust ISOsafe to provide your business with all the support and materials needed to gain ISO9001 accreditation. We work closely with Australia’s most recognisable names, including SAI Global, BSI, DNV GL, Lloyd's Register and Bureau Veritas Australia and New Zealand. To get a fast free quote call us today on 1300 789 132