A prominent regional manufacturer has been convicted and fined by the Industrial Court today over an “ad hoc work method” that put an apprentice worker at risk of electrocution.

OneSteel Manufacturing Pty Ltd had already pleaded guilty to breaching section 19(1) of the Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act 1986 in failing to ensure the safety of an employee at work, and failing to provide a safe system of work.

SafeWork SA prosecuted after investigating an incident at the company’s Whyalla steelworks in July 2008. Two workers had been tasked with the thermal imaging of live switchboards. One was a qualified electrician and the other a 19 year old second year apprentice.

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