The second largest sugar company in Australia has come under fire after a workplace incident put an employee at risk of serious injury or death.
Mackay Sugar was charged this month over allegations it breached its duty of care.
Court summons from Mackay Magistrate's Court revealed a worker had been operating a priming pump between 1 March 2020 and 2 September 2021 under the employment of Mackay Sugar.
The worker had obtained water quality samples from the area surrounding the Sugar Mill, including effluent ponds on Abbotts Road, Palmyra.
The worker operated a priming pump to prime and obtain water samples via a larger main pump, however, the drive belts and mechanisms of the priming pump were unguarded and accessible by the workers.
Work Health and Safety Prosecutor Simon Nicholson filed the complaint on 28 August 2023.
The documents stated that "operation of the priming pump was hazardous in that it posed a risk to the health and safety of the workers, namely the possibility of serious injury or death if part of a worker's body became caught or entangled within the mechanisms of the priming pump".
Prosecutors alleged Mackay Sugar could have eliminated or minimised risk of injury through "the installation of guarding surrounding the drive belts of the priming pump" and through "the development and implementation of a safe work procedure for operation of the priming pump".
A Mackay Sugar spokesperson said due to the nature of the enquiry and with respect to privacy, they were unable to provide comment on the proceedings.
"In general terms, Mackay Sugar prioritises the health and safety of our people and the environment and we continuously implement improvements to our systems, processes and infrastructure that further ensure our employees remain safe at work," the spokesperson said.
The case will be mentioned in court again in December 2023.
This is not the first time the company has come under scrutiny for safe workplace practises, ranging from fires to employee injuries.
In September 2014, a male Mossman Mill employee sustained serious injuries to his right foot while working within the mill's cane receival area.
The mill was immediately shut down and emergency services were called, where it was determined the worker slipped and caught his foot in the mill's bin tippler.
The man was freed by emergency crews and mill personnel and was then airlifted to Cairns Hospital for treatment.
Mackay Sugar engaged psychological support for the man and his family, and a Workplace Health and Safety investigation was undertaken.
