The South Australian Employment Tribunal imposed the fine last week on Pooraka-based manufacturer Basic Trailers, after the company pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012.

The company was found to have failed to ensure an 18-year-old worker’s safety when he was operating a three-metre long hydraulic swing beam sheer guillotine.

The worker, who was in his second week on the job, suffered partial finger amputations to both his index and middle fingers as well as his left ring finger while working on the guillotine in November 2020.

The machine, used to cut checker plate metal, had inadequate guard protections which allowed a hand to “easily pass” into the guillotine, according to SafeWork SA.

The worker returned to Basic Trailers four months later but resigned shortly after.

The Employment Tribunal initially imposed a $300,000 fine on the company but reduced it to $180,000 due to an early guilty plea.

SafeWork SA acting executive director Glenn Farrell said: “We are seeing these types of injuries far too often, which is frustrating because they can be easily prevented.”

“This case also highlights the importance for… adequate training and supervision of inexperienced workers,” he said.

“This workplace incident could also have been easily avoided if plant was maintained in a safe condition and safe systems of work had been implemented.

“As a result, a young person unnecessarily sustained injuries that may continue to impact him for the rest of his life.”