An asphalt company has been fined after a worker was crushed to death by a loader driven by a colleague during end-of-day drinks.

Four workers from HSG Asphalt and a related company were drinking alcohol at the company’s Bangholme depot in September 2022 when one erratically drove a skid steer loader that had been left with the keys in the ignition.

The County Court in Melbourne heard the driver tried to knock a worker off his chair using the loader’s bucket, then drove at the person “full throttle”, running him over up to three times and pinning him under the machine. The victim died in hospital that evening.

WorkSafe found the company’s usual practice was to leave keys in the ignition of the skid steer and other mobile plant so workers could access them any time.

The court found it was reasonably practicable for HSG Asphalt to reduce risk by storing keys in a lockbox with restricted access or providing them to authorised operators only.

WorkSafe chief health and safety officer Sam Jenkin says employers must do everything reasonable to secure equipment and ensure it is used only for authorised work by trained people.  

“Skid steers and other mobile plant are not toys and can be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands, including anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as well as those who don’t have appropriate training,” he said.

The company was fined $80,000 after admitting one charge of failing to maintain a safe system of work and one charge of failing to ensure people other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.

The court heard the skid steer driver had a blood alcohol content of 0.122% and admitted manslaughter by criminal negligence in July last year. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.