TOM HAYES
By TOM HAYES
DENNIS Jones Engineering and its director, Dennis Jones, have been slapped with one of the biggest fines in WorkSafe history today (November 9) in Melbourne’s County Court.
During October 2021, second-year apprentice Byron Foley was involved in a workplace incident while working at Dennis Jones Engineering, that left him with a life-changing brain injury.
Mr Foley was struck on the head with a steel pipe, while holding a plastic sleeve that steadied the rotating length of steel pipe, which was being threaded in a lathe, a task he was instructed to perform.
Mr Foley spent over five months in hospital, where he underwent surgery to get a titanium skull.
Dennis Jones Engineering pleaded guilty to one charge under Section 32 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (recklessly placing another person who is at a workplace in danger of serious injury).
The Morwell-based business was fined $2.1 million for seriously injuring an apprentice in October 2021.
The director, Mr Jones pleaded guilty to one charge under Section 21 (1) and 21 (2) (a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (failing to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health).
Mr Jones, 56, was fined $140,000, and was handed a five-year Community Corrections Order which included 600 hours of unpaid community service.
The total fine of $2.24 million is the second-largest in WorkSafe history for a workplace incident under Section 32 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
