A freight company has been charged in relation to the death of a garbage truck driver in Epping in December 2019.
WorkSafe Victoria said that Tarantino Investments were charged following a guilty plea in Melbourne Magistrates court on Wednesday, September 28.
The company was charged with failing to ensure that the plant being used for a purpose for which it was supplied was safe and without risks to health, fined $35,000 and ordered to pay $7500 in costs.
WorkSafe said the incident involved a faulty stabilising leg on one of the company’s side loading trailer trucks that wasn’t able to fully retract, Whilst the truck was being driven, the protruding stabiliser leg collided with the cabin of a garbage truck, killing the driver instantly.
The subcontractor that was hired by Trantino Investments was transporting goods to a business in Epping from its depot in Brooklyn.
“After unloading the container, the driver noticed that one of the stabilising legs on the trailer’s crane did not fully retract using the remote control and used manual levers to retract it,” WorkSafe said in a statement.
WorkSafe Victoria said that an investigation into the incident uncovered a poor state of repair from previous damage and that the remote was repaired with duct tape and cable ties.
WorkSafe health and safety director Narelle Beer said there was no excuse for failing to maintain vehicles being used for work.
“This company’s failure put other road users in extreme danger,” Dr Beer said.
