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A NSW tree removal company has been fined more than $2 million for the use of a defective machine which resulted in the gruesome death of a worker.
A1 Arbor Tree Services Pty Ltd was convicted and fined in the NSW District Court on Friday over the 2019 death of a 40-year-old Fijian man.
The man was among a group of workers who were removing trees. He was operating a woodchipper at a school in Lindfield, in Sydney’s north, when he was accidentally pulled into the machine and tragically killed.
A1 Arbor Tree Services pleaded guilty to failing to comply with its safety obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act.
The court heard that the company didn’t complete a risk assessment of the woodchipper, which was found to have several defects.
It also heard there was little supervision of the workers, who didn’t receive training to operate the machine.
The $2.025 million fine is the single largest court-imposed fine for a business in NSW. Work Health and Safety Minister Sophie Costsis said landmark conviction “puts everyone across NSW on notice”, per Guardian Australia.
The publication also reported Judge Wendy Sue Strathdee said during the sentencing that the foreseeable harm to the worker was extreme, and his death was “shocking” and “completely avoidable”. She said the multi-million dollar fine was warranted.
“My heart goes out to the family and friends of this 40-year-old worker who didn’t make it home,” she said, per Guardian Australia.
“The lives of workers must be priority number one. No excuses, no exceptions.”
A1 Arbor Tree Services has the right to appeal the decision.
Image: iStock / photovs
