Are your 'Augers' properly guarded?

Are workers trained, by you, in their usage and risks present?

A grain store and one of its directors have been fined a total of $112,000 after an employee’s hand was caught in machinery at the business.

• The staff member was transferring a delivery of white millet into two portable grain transfer augers, which were set up back-to-back at the rear of the business premises
• The employee, who had only worked at the Grain Store for seven months, took over the transfer of the load after the director was called away to attend to another delivery
• He was not given any specific directions or instructions by the director and had not previously engaged in such a transfer himself
• The man’s hand was caught in the auger and he sustained a degloving injury, which required surgery and has resulted in some permanent damage
• Neither of the augers involved in the millet transfer were guarded and neither had an isolation switch
• The Grain Store and the director breached section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) in that they failed to provide and maintain, so far as was reasonably practicable, safe plant and structures.