Harmony Operations Australia Fined for Fatal Electrocution Incident in Victorian Feedlot

Incident Overview

In November 2020, a 29-year-old worker was fatally electrocuted at the Gerang Gerung property near Wimmera in regional Victoria while operating a telehandler to stack hay bales. The machine contacted overhead power lines, delivering a fatal electric shock. Harmony Operations Australia, the feedlot operator, was subsequently prosecuted by WorkSafe Victoria.

In December 2023, Harmony Operations Australia pleaded guilty in Horsham Magistrates’ Court to failing to provide a safe working environment and necessary training. The court imposed a fine of $140,000 and found that a mandatory 3-metre exclusion zone around the power line should have been established and communicated to all workers.

• Fatalities:
  • In November 2020, a 29-year-old worker was fatally electrocuted at the Gerang Gerung property near Wimmera in regional Victoria while operating a telehandler to stack hay bales
• Injuries:
  • None reported.

• In November 2020, a 29-year-old worker was fatally electrocuted at the Gerang Gerung property near Wimmera in regional Victoria while operating a telehandler to stack hay bales

In November 2020, a 29-year-old worker was fatally electrocuted at the Gerang Gerung property near Wimmera in regional Victoria while operating a telehandler to stack hay bales. The machine contacted overhead power lines, delivering a fatal electric shock. Harmony Operations Australia, the feedlot operator, was subsequently prosecuted by WorkSafe Victoria.

WorkSafe Victoria conducted a comprehensive investigation into the incident. The investigation revealed that while Harmony Operations Australia required workers to read a safe work procedure for telehandler operation, the training did not adequately address the specific risks posed by overhead power lines in the work area. The regulator found that no exclusion zone had been established around the power line, and workers had not been informed of the electrocution hazard.

WorkSafe Victoria continues to investigate workplace electrocution hazards across Victorian agricultural and industrial sites. Any workers, contractors or site managers with information about similar overhead power line risks or near-miss incidents are encouraged to report confidentially to WorkSafe Victoria on 1800 136 089 or via the online incident-report form at worksafe.vic.gov.au.