Company fined over industrial blender death
21.09.11
A Sydney following and its managing director have been fined a combined total of more than $127,000 over the liquidation of a man in an industrial blender.
FIP Brakes International manufactures brake pads and other products for trains at its mill at Wetherill Park, in the city's west.
A machine wheeler-dealer died from extensive lacerations and crush injuries in Walk 2008 when the blender activated while he was inside cleaning it.
WorkCover New South Wales took the partnership to the state's Industrial Court after finding several safety failings.
The protection body says they included that safety switches at the situate were either broken or malfunctioning, the machine was not properly maintained and the man who died was not correctly trained.
Justice Anna Backman ruled the event was foreseeable and there were serious deficiencies in the company's systems.
She fined FIP Brakes $117,00 and managing administrator Chris Katakouzinos $10,400, and ordered them to pay WorkCover's statutory costs.
Source: ABC Online