Off with their hands – printers still being injured around presses

At Rural Press Printing, Victoria, a man’s hand was caught between a power-driven belt and pulley wheel. The man suffered extensive crush injuries to his right hand; the tip of his right thumb was amputated, tendons were lacerated, and fractured bones required wires to be inserted. Rural Press, Victoria pleaded guilty in court and was fined $50,000 without conviction.

Hannanprint Victoria and Eastern Suburbs Newspapers were each convicted and fined $75,000 after an employee lost his right middle finger above the nail in an inadequately guarded printing press.

The incidents demonstrate that the printing industry is still not safe, according to Michael Birt, spokesman for WorkSafe. “The issues that caused the incidents have been around for 250 years,” he said. “The generic issue of unguarded machinery is one of our number-one sources of prosecutions.”

Victoria does have a high prevalence of accidents in the workplaces, and Birt notes that, “In both cases they were ‘lucky’ it was only the tips of their fingers. Anyone that doesn’t guard their machines are self-selecting for prosecution.”

Following the Hannonprint court case, WorkSafe’s executive director, John Merritt said outside the court that unguarded machines and inadequate procedures were among the easiest workplace health and safety issues to fix.

“Doing it after a death or injury is too late,” he said. “Machines should be provided with guards when purchased, fitted later in the case of older plant or if they cannot be fitted for some technical reason the risk must be managed.”

Laziness on the employer’s behalf caused both of these preventable accidents. Birt urges all companies to be vigilant. “It’s easier to fix the guard and make sure that people can go home safely,” he said. “You don’t need blood on the floor to face prosecution.”