Auger injury leads to fine

The court heard the farmhand’s leg had become entangled in the screw of the grain auger on the Walgett farm on August 6, 2023.

The farm company pleaded guilty to the offence under the Work Health and Safety Act to failing to ensure the health and safety of an employee.

The worker was working alone in the mill area between two silos and carrying out tasks in accordance with his role as a feeder.

He was walking between the two silos when his right foot slipped into the infeed hopper, which resulted in the unguarded auger grabbing his foot and dragging it up the shaft, about 300mm. The auger subsequently cut out due to overload from the force.

The worker was able to use his mobile phone to call Maurice Swain for assistance and emergency services attended at the farm.

The emergency service workers used a grinder to cut through the steel in order to free the worker, and the young man was transported by helicopter and plane to St George Hospital in Sydney.

The worker sustained serious leg injuries requiring eight separate operations and more than a month in hospital.

The court accepted the defendant company’s clear record and the remorse expressed by the family owners.

However, counsel for the prosecutor referred to the deficiencies in the systems of work that the defendant had in place, highlighting, in particular, that the auger was not fitted with a guard that covered the entirety of the rotating screw flighting; there were no guards around the in-feed hopper to prevent access in and around the auger; and although there was evidence that a table had been put in place some days before the incident to serve as some type of guard, it was not fixed.

Further more, the counsel submitted that there was an absence of any formalised system of work supervision surrounding the auger.

Acting SafeWork Commissioner Petrina Casey said risk control measures for working with moving plant and fixed machinery were well known.

“Being injured when working with fixed machinery is a preventable hazard we see across our state and in all industries,” she said.