The operator of a quarry in Victoria has been convicted and fined $230,000 after a driver was killed when his vehicle rolled on a stockpile in May 2016.
Keilor Melton Quarries Pty Ltd was sentenced on Friday 14th December 2018 following been found guilty of contravening Section 26 of the Victorian Occupational Health & Safety Act, by ‘failing to ensure the workplace was safe and without risks to health and safety’
The Melbourne Country Court heard the driver, a man in his 60s, died when the dump truck he was driving flipped over the edge of a stockpile at the Plumpton quarry and slid down the other side.
The court heard the driver, a sub-contractor, was moving material up an earthen ramp to dump near the top of the stockpile when the incident occurred.
A WorkSafe investigation found that Keilor Melton Quarries should have completed a risk assessment and a Safe Work Method Statement for the task.
It also found the company failed to take a number of reasonably practicable steps including ensuring the perimeter of the stockpile was adequately walled and engaging a qualified engineer to assess the stability of the stockpile.
WorkSafe Health and Safety Executive Director Julie Nielsen said the death was a tragic reminder of the importance of identifying the hazards involved in high-risk work.
“Employers have a responsibility to ensure Safe Work Method Statements are prepared for all high-risk work, including work involving sub-contractors,” Ms Nielsen said.
“It is not acceptable to put the safety of any worker at risk by failing to identify hazards and failing to take action on these.”
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