On 15 Jun 23, a 16-year-old worker at RPC Surface Treatment Pty Ltd in Welshpool, WA, was crushed to death when a 425 kg steel beam fell from a monorail. Two years later, on 27 Oct 25, the Perth Magistrates Court handed down a record $975,000 penalty, the highest fine ever imposed under Western Australia’s work health and safety laws. This was not a freak accident. It was a foreseeable, preventable system failure. The Incident The company utilised a monorail system to transp

On October 8, 2025, a concrete manufacturing business in Queensland was sentenced in the Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor’s (OWHSP) report after a worker suffered amputation of his leg. The company was fined $110,000  for breaching its primary health and safety duty under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) (WHS Act) by failing to control a clearly foreseeable risk. This article unpacks what happened, why it matters, and the lessons companies must draw.

In October 2025, a manufacturing company in Queensland was fined $60,000  after a serious injury occurred due to exposed machinery. The case, reported on the Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor (OWHSP) website, serves as a stark reminder of how predictable risks, when left unaddressed, can lead to human harm, regulatory sanctions, and reputational damage. This blog explores the facts of the case, the regulatory context, the lessons for manufacturing and broader i

The NSW District Court has fined Wrigley Metal Roofing Co Pty Ltd $225,000 after a worker fell almost 4 m from a roof at Avalon Beach in 22. The conviction under s32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) underscores the importance of implementing safe systems for roof work. The incident On 25 Jul 22, a roof worker engaged by Wrigley Metal Roofing Co Pty Ltd fell 3.8 m while re-sheeting and cladding a residential roof at Avalon Beach. A principal contractor had subcontr

A worker’s hand was crushed in a conveyor. The machine wasn’t isolated. There were no engineering controls to prevent access to moving parts. Now the employer is facing a $340,000 enforceable undertaking. MFCT Pty Ltd, trading as Mildura Fruit Company, agreed to the penalty after a serious workplace injury in July 2023. The matter was heard on 27 October 2025 in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court. This isn’t just another compliance case. It’s a warning shot for every business

On 14 Jul 22, a forklift reversed inside the chilled stack-down area of JBS Australia’s Yanco feedlot, striking a 57-year-old worker. The collision caused catastrophic crush injuries that led to the amputation of the worker’s left leg. This month, the company was convicted and fined $330,000 under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) after pleading guilty to failing to ensure the health and safety of its workers. What Went Wrong Investigators found that key engineering c

The 2025 West Coast bushfires stand as one of Tasmania’s largest and most complex natural disasters in recent memory. Sparked by dry...

The Mills & Watson Plumbing Pty Ltd case is tied to a broader excavation collapse incident prosecuted under safe work laws in New South...

When even the Department of Defence cops a fine, it’s a wake-up call for everyone else. Comcare recently prosecuted Defence after a soldier in Brisbane sustained a serious thumb laceration. The injury met the criteria for notifiable incidents  under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth), but Defence didn’t tell Comcare in time. The result: a $7,000 fine for failing to notify the regulator immediately after becoming aware of the serious injury. You can read the official re

Melbourne's skyline and mentality were permanently damaged on the morning of October 15, 1970. 35 workers were killed and numerous...

Electricity is one of those hazards that hides in plain sight. You can’t see it, smell it, or hear it—until it makes itself known in the...

The Incident In January 2012, a B-double truck operated by Lennons Transport veered onto the wrong side of the Hume Highway near...

On 13 October 2021, tragedy struck at the Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym when a recreational climber fell approximately 12 metres after an...

What Happened (The Facts, Because Humanity Already Has Enough Fiction) WorkSafe Victoria reported that on Sunday, 1 June 2025 , a...

On 28 August 2025, WorkSafe WA  announced that the Western Australian Meat Marketing Co-operative (WAMMCO) had been fined $785,000 plus...

On 27 August 2025, WorkSafe Victoria  reported that an HVAC company had been fined $85,000  after a first-year apprentice fell three...

On 28 August 2025, the ABC reported  that Bundaberg Sugar had been fined following the death of a worker in a cane paddock near Childers....

In June 2025, Kimberley Quarry Pty Ltd  was convicted and fined a total of $167,000 plus costs  after a worker fell more than three...

Incident Summary On Sunday, 6 July 2025, at approximately 0830 hours, a devastating incident occurred at Darling Downs Zoo in Pilton,...

Workplace incidents, particularly those involving severe injuries or fatalities, are tragic events that highlight the pressing need for...