Reported
Person rescued from grain silo in Dunolly
A person was rescued after becoming trapped in a grain silo on Thompson Street in Dunolly, Victoria, on 6 October 2026. The Country Fire…
Agriculture Dunolly, VIC
Record summary
- Date
- Thursday 30 September 2021
- Location
- Dennis Jones Engineering's Gippsland
- Employer or operator
- Dennis Jones Engineering Pty Ltd
- Type
- Steel pipe strike during lathe operation
- Deaths
- None reported
- Injured
- 1One 20-year-old apprentice with severe head injury
- Regulator
- WorkSafe Victoria
What happened
Incident Overview
In October 2021, a 20-year-old apprentice suffered severe head injuries after being struck by a steel pipe that bent and whipped during a lathe operation at Dennis Jones Engineering’s Gippsland facility in Victoria. The apprentice was airlifted to hospital and placed in an induced coma.
Following a WorkSafe investigation, Dennis Jones Engineering and its director Dennis Jones pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to recklessly engaging in conduct that placed a person in danger of serious injury and failing to provide or maintain safe systems of work. The company was convicted and fined $2.1 million in November 2023.
- In October 2021, a 20-year-old apprentice suffered severe head injuries after being struck by a steel pipe that bent and whipped during a lathe operation at Dennis Jones Engineering’s Gippsland facility in Victoria
Following a WorkSafe investigation, Dennis Jones Engineering and its director Dennis Jones pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to recklessly engaging in conduct that placed a person in danger of serious injury and failing to provide or maintain safe systems of work. The company was convicted and fined $2.1 million in November 2023.
WorkSafe Victoria investigated the incident and concluded that Dennis Jones Engineering should have known about the risks associated with the task and failed to implement necessary safety measures, including the installation of fixed covers to the lathe machine. The investigation supported prosecution in the Victorian County Court.
WorkSafe Victoria continues to investigate workplace safety compliance across Victorian manufacturing facilities. Any workers, contractors or industry representatives with information about unsafe lathe operations or similar incidents are encouraged to contact WorkSafe Victoria on 1800 136 089 or report online at worksafe.vic.gov.au.