A Perth-based firm is hit with the largest workplace safety penalty ever issued in Western Australia after a 16-year-old boy was killed at their plant. RPC Surface Treatment, trading as TLC Surface Treatment, will have to pay $975,000 plus fees after the death of Hamiora Sharland two years previously. The youth was crushed by a huge steel beam that landed on his chest while he worked at the Welshpool plant.
The accident occurred on 15 June 2023 when Hamiora was assisting in spray painting and sandblasting operations. A 425-kilogram steel beam hung on a monorail above him. The beam dropped and ran over the boy’s chest. Paramedics took him to the hospital but he passed away shortly after admission. The accident stunned the community, with the Premier, Roger Cook, paying tribute to the young worker then.
Company Disregarded Earlier Warning
What makes this matter worse is that WorkSafe had previously warned the business about this very risk. Two years before Hamiora’s death, inspectors issued TLC Surface Treatment a notice instructing them to cease any work being conducted under suspended loads. The business disregarded that notice and continued doing business as usual. This week, the business pleaded guilty in Perth Magistrates Court to two counts of not ensuring a worker was safe.
WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North stated that the company definitely had an awareness of the risks but had ineffective safety systems. She said that companies need to make appropriate risk assessments when employees lift heavy loads and implement safety steps. The company was ordered by the court to pay $975,000 in fines along with an additional $3,348.50 in costs, making it WA’s biggest penalty under workplace safety regulations.
Rare Death of Young Worker
Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union official Glenn McLaren said such worker deaths at this age nearly never occur. He’d been a union official for 25 years and had never encountered somebody this young who had passed away at work. Hamiora was the fourth to have died at work in Western Australia or the surrounding waters within four weeks in 2023.
WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North stated that the company certainly knew the risks but their safety arrangement were poor. She stated that companies need to assess risks properly when employees handle heavy objects and then mitigate the risks. The company was instructed by the court to pay $975,000 for the fine and then an additional $3,348.50 for costs. That makes it WA’s largest workplace safety fine ever issued.
Rare Death of Young Worker
Glenn McLaren is from the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union. He stated that workers dying this young essentially never occur. He’s had union work for 25 years and never once had a case of someone this young dying while working before now. Hamiora was fourth among individuals who passed away at work in WA or out at sea close by in one four-week period in 2023.
Commissioner North explained the hefty fine indicates courts consider these matters very seriously. She explained this was a particularly sad case because a young worker with his entire life ahead of him passed away.
News At Glance
- Perth factory TLC Surface Treatment pays record $975,000 fine after boy dies
- Hamiora Sharland aged 16 died when a 425kg steel beam fell on him
- The company received a warning two years earlier to cease work under suspended loads
- The business pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to ensure the worker’s safety
- Union claims workers of this age dying at work nearly never occurs in Australia
FAQs
Q: What occurred to Hamiora Sharland at the factory?
A 425-kilogram steel beam that was suspended on a rail fell onto the chest of the 16-year-old boy while he undertook spray painting work.
Q: Did anyone advise the company on safety before this?
Yes, WorkSafe issued the firm a notice two years earlier instructing them to cease work under suspended loads.
Q: How much does the firm have to pay?
The firm pays $975,000 for the penalty and $3,348.50 for expenses, totalling close to $1 million and WA’s largest workplace safety fine.
Q: What charges did the firm receive?
RPC Surface Treatment pleaded guilty to two charges regarding not keeping an employee safe under workplace health regulations.
Q: Do young workers die on the job very often?
Union members say no, workers dying young are extremely uncommon. One union employee with 25 years of experience never witnessed this occur previously.
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