SafeWork NSW is convicting manufacturers over fixed machinery, and the lesson is in the dates
On 15 September 2026, SafeWork NSW announced that Woodward Foods Australia had been convicted and fined $375,000 after a worker was seriously injured using a grain mill. The court also imposed an adverse publicity order. The incident happened in January 2023.
That gap matters. If you run a NSW manufacturing
What the regulator is telling you
SafeWork NSW’s 2026–27 Regulatory Statement names mobile plant, vehicles and fixed machinery as one of four enforcement priorities, alongside falls, psychosocial risks and hazardous substances. This year’s prosecutions show they mean it.
In February, a boilermaking and blasting business was fined $120,000 after a worker was caught between conveyor rollers. In July, Fenner Dunlop was fined $212,500 after a worker was struck by metal debris on a bucket elevator conveyor. Each case went back to an incident in 2022 or 2023.
The Commissioner’s message in these releases is consistent: controls for fixed machinery are well known, and these injuries are preventable. When the regulator says the fix is well known, the court treats not having it as a choice.
What I saw as an inspector
Machinery injuries almost never happened during normal production. They happened when someone was clearing a jam, cleaning, adjusting or loading the machine. The guard was there for running, but not for the job everyone actually did ten times a shift.
The other pattern was isolation. Plenty of sites had a lockout procedure. Far fewer had locks at every machine, people trained to use them, and a supervisor who stopped work when they weren’t used. Guarding has to suit the task people really do, not just the task in the manual.
Why you should fix it now, not after the visit
A serious machinery injury brings an investigation, notices, possible downtime, a prosecution that can run for years, and now potentially an adverse publicity order with your company’s name on it. None of that is on your terms.
Fixing it now is cheaper, faster and fully in your control. More importantly, it means the person on that machine keeps their hands. Pick your three highest-use machines and check them this week:
Can anyone reach a moving part during cleaning, clearing or adjusting, and are the interlocks working and not bypassed?
Is there a lock at the machine, and has every operator actually used it in the last month?
Does your risk assessment cover maintenance and jam-clearing, or only normal running?
If you can’t answer yes with evidence, you have found your priority.
How Highline helps
I’ve spent over 15 years in the inspectorate and high hazard industries, and I’ve seen how machinery incidents unfold and how they end up in court. Highline helps NSW manufacturers close those gaps before they become a case number.
We complete practical machine guarding and isolation reviews against AS 4024, map the real tasks your operators perform, tighten lockout systems, and coach supervisors to enforce them. You get a prioritised action plan, not a binder. Fix it on your timeline, not the regulator’s, and book a machinery and isolation review with Highline.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Refer to the original WorkSafe Victoria alert and guidance for full details.