The magistrate’s court in Frankston held 33-year-old local man accountable on Tuesday, March 11th, after he pleaded guilty to neglecting safety measures at his workplace. This critical incident speaks volumes about the importance of work safety products like WHS management systems and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS).
He was handed a legal obligation to bear a penalty of $3000 in costs, with a supplemental adverse publicity order mandating him to broadcast the misdemeanour and its subsequent punishment in two distinct industry bulletins. He has also penned an apology letter to the worker who suffered.
From September 2022 through to April 2023, it came to light that the business director had been involved in continuous misconduct towards an apprentice. Claims received by the court exposed this unsettling display of control.
An investigation led by WorkSafe identified an absence of any workplace protocols or regulations in place, such as a Bluesafe SWMS or Bluesafe WHS Management System, for reporting, scrutinising and preventing such harmful activities.
In defiance of the apprentice voicing her objections via a designated support person, the director’s improper conduct lingered until she resigned. Court officials determined that it would have been manageable for the director to minimise the risk of psychological distress by refraining from workplace bullying, sexual harassment and directing job-centred discriminatory violence towards the apprentice.
“This sort of violation is appalling, especially when coming from a person who holds a position of power in a company,” commented the WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety, Sam Jenkin, “Every employee, particularly young ones entering the workforce, are entitled to dignity and respect from both their colleagues and superiors.”
To keep workplace harassment and bullying at bay, implementing strategies like a robust ‘Bluesafe WHS Management System’ and maintaining comprehensive policies should become the hallmark of every Australian organisation.
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Original article link: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/news/2025-03/electrician-fined-appalling-behaviour-towards-apprentice