Midfield Meat International

Warrnambool abattoir Midfield Meat International has been fined $95,000 after two of its workers were struck by a forklift. Midfield pleaded guilty to one charge under Section 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of failing to eliminate the risk of powered mobile machines colliding with pedestrians. This follows an October 2017 incident in which an employee was driving a forklift carrying a bin filled with skins through the centre of a yard and hit a worker and a company director standing in the thoroughfare. He was only alerted to the incident when someone yelled out. The worker sustained two fractured ribs, while the director did not sustain a serious injury. The company was convicted in Warrnambool Magistrates Court, fined and ordered to pay WorkSafe Victoria's costs of $4,000. This is the company's fifth workplace safety conviction.