Judge points the finger

A POORLY guarded printing press, which cost a worker part of his finger, has cost two companies $75,000 each in fines. Hannanprint Victoria and Eastern Suburbs Newspapers management were each convicted and fined by Judge Barnett in the County Court last Thursday.
The court was told an employee printer lost his right middle finger above the nail in an inadequately guarded printing press on 16 April, 2003 at Hannanprint’s Noble Park premises.
The court was told a worker was feeding paper into the press when his finger was caught in the machine. Communications were limited by noise and the inability of the machine’s operator to see the man who was injured.
Hannanprint owned the plant and stock at the site while Eastern Suburbs Newspapers No.2 employed some 80 printers and printers’ assistants.
Each company had duties to its own employees and other people working at the printing plant.
Both companies pleaded guilty to one charge laid under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Judge Barnett said it was inevitable that a serious injury would occur due to the unsafe system of work and that the machine was clearly dangerous.