Fatalities
NSW
- 2024 A 31-year-old worker was in the process of tipping out refuse from a tipper truck at a waste management facility. The worker was outside of his vehicle clearing a blockage when he was struck by a compactor operating on site, sustaining fatal crush injuries. – https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/compliance-and-prosecutions/incident-information-releases/other-industries/landfill-crush-injury
- 2016 Eastern Creek waste management facility – 1 person injured and 1 killed by compactor on landfill: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/525573/iir-landfill-crush-injury-270519.pdf
- 2014 42-year-old Nowra man who died in a Sydney hospital after falling more than three metres into a skip-bin at the West Nowra Waste Depot. To unload waste directly into the bin, the person backed their utility vehicle under the chain that ran along the edge of the platform. While trying to unravel the chain from the back of the vehicle, they fell into the bin.- https://www.southcoastregister.com.au/story/2388989/police-name-fall-victim/ https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/safety-alerts/safety-alerts/falling-from-heights-at-waste-management-facilities
- 2014 At a waste management facility in a push pit format, one man fell from the back of their Pantech truck into a compactor push pit, which did not have edge protection, as it was only intended for trucks that mechanically tip waste into the pit. The fall resulted in fatal injuries https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/safety-alerts/safety-alerts/falling-from-heights-at-waste-management-facilities
- 2024 Lucas Heights – Man dies in workplace accident at Lucas Heights recycling centre, Sydney, crushed by compactor reversing on landfill. – https://7news.com.au/news/man-dies-in-workplace-accident-at-lucas-heights-recycling-centre-sydney-c-16165004
VIC
- 2025 Fatal injury to worker at Cleanaway’s Melbourne Regional Landfill. The fatality occurred when a customer’s truck struck a worker from another customer vehicle. The incident occurred in an area away from the tip face – https://www.cleanaway.com.au/newsroom/fatal-incident-at-melbourne-regional-landfill
Waste transfer stations are very dangerous places.
Injuries
NSW
- 2022, A 51-year-old worker suffered fatal crush injuries whilst walking through a waste collection and recycling facility. The worker was struck by a telehandler fitted with a bucket, which was reversing after loading recycled material onto a truck in the warehouse. – https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/compliance-and-prosecutions/incident-information-releases/other-industries/worker-struck-by-telehandler#:~:text=A%2051%2Dyear%2Dold%20worker,a%20truck%20in%20the%20warehouse.
VIC
- 2021 Kilmany Resource Centre – Woman falls into skip bin breaking ribs and injuring spine, $45000 payout and fines https://www.safetysolutions.net.au/content/height/news/company-fined-45k-after-woman-falls-into-skip-bin-55958675
Western Australia
- In November 2021 a member of the public sustained a significant head injury when he fell into the pit at a waste transfer facility. The person was pulling a heavy item from his trailer when he fell backward under the balustrade into the pit. https://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/publications/safety-alert-0122-customer-fall-waste-management-facility
- Hilbert Landfill Armidale 0 The man had just unloaded green waste at the landfill site when he was struck by the loader driven by a site supervisor employed by the City of Armidale in August 2014.- https://www.9news.com.au/national/wa-council-fined-110-000-over-injury/e7c18d91-969b-468b-b300-134b06cfe67e?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Northern Territory
- 2022, A 51-year-old worker suffered fatal crush injuries whilst walking through a waste collection and recycling facility. The worker was struck by a telehandler fitted with a bucket, which was reversing after loading recycled material onto a truck in the warehouse. – https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/compliance-and-prosecutions/incident-information-releases/other-industries/worker-struck-by-telehandler#:~:text=A%2051%2Dyear%2Dold%20worker,a%20truck%20in%20the%20warehouse.
- Howard Springs Waste Transfer Station March 2024: A member of the public sustained serious injuries after falling into a skip bin. The individual was unloading rubbish from their trailer when they fell, leading to extensive medical treatment. – https://www.ntnews.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=NTWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ntnews.com.au%2Fnews%2Fnorthern-territory%2Fnt-worksafe-orders-tip-fix-at-howard-springs-after-member-of-the-public-suffers-serious-injuries%2Fnews-story%2F198dbbb8e1f4a43e0f03919d11db053f&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium
- Daniel King fell approximately 2.5 meters into a skip bin while unloading waste at the Archer Waste Management Facility. He sustained multiple fractures and is pursuing legal action, alleging inadequate safety measures at the site – https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/northern-territory/tip-contractor-veolia-claims-daniel-king-was-high-on-cannabis-when-he-fell-into-skip-bin/news-story/126a671d98552edfe871612c44efd2a9?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Asbestos Incidents at WTS
New South Wales
- A popular southwest Sydney park will be closed for more than a year as it undergoes a $11.8 million remediation after asbestos and methane gas were discovered at the former waste landfill site. – https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/st-george-shire/kempt-field-to-close-for-118m-cleanup-after-discovery-of-asbestos-methane-gas/news-story/592009fbc2377de712a7810761b79b35?
Queensland
- Asbestos-contaminated mulch found near Rockhampton in central Queensland The Emu Park Transfer Station, east of Rockhampton, closed on Tuesday when asbestos was detected in its 5,887-cubic-metre pile of free mulch. – https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-14/asbestos-contaminated-mulch-detected-emu-park-near-rockhampton/103583964
- In January 2020, the Southern Downs Regional Council (QLD), operator of the Burges Road Waste Transfer Station, pleaded guilty in the Warwick Magistrates Court to breaches of the Work Health and Safety Regulation related to accepting asbestos waste, despite official policy prohibiting it – https://www.owhsp.qld.gov.au/court-report/asbestos-regulation-breaches-waste-transfer-station
Western Australia
- In October 2023, the Watkins Road Waste Transfer Station (Shire of Serpentine–Jarrahdale WA) was closed after surface testing revealed 31 asbestos fragments across the site and asbestos dust in subsoil samples.95 fragments of bonded fibro cement sheeting containing asbestos (totalling over 1kg) were collected from the surface, across all areas of the tip. It’s been estimated that it could cost up to $150,000 before any remediation works actually begin.-https://www.yourlocalexaminer.com.au/no-conspiracy-theory-in-tip-shutdown/
Northern Territory
- In June 2024, during inspections, the NT EPA found demolition waste containing asbestos at the Howard Springs and Humpty Doo facilities. As neither facility was licensed to accept asbestos, two official directions were issued for immediate containment. The NT EPA also amended site licences to prevent future occurrences –https://environment.nt.gov.au/news/2024/asbestos-contamination-at-litchfield-waste-transfer-stations
Victoria
- Mid-2023: Dust containing asbestos was found blowing from an asbestos-contaminated rubble stockpile at a recycling depot in Laverton North, Melbourne. The business, Australian Recycling Solutions, pleaded guilty to environmental offences—spending over $80,000 to properly dispose of the asbestos waste, then closed its operations. –https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GPT&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Fleader%2Fwest%2Fnicholas-harnetty-faces-court-as-laverton-company-australian-recycling-solutions-charged-over-asbestos-dust%2Fnews-story%2F0625f31f9cf8564e3ed9a719b935d68e&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE
