Meat processor found guilty over crush death

WorkSafe Victoria says the death of a man at a South Gippsland meat processing factory, in the state's south-east, could have been avoided.

An employee of Tabro Meat, Abraham Yak, died in 2010 after his body was crushed in a machine used to stun and kill cattle.

A Latrobe Valley County Court jury has found Tabro Meat guilty of two charges relating to the man's death.

A spokeswoman for WorkSafe Victoria, Lisa Sturzenegger, says Mr Yak's death was an avoidable tragedy.

"There was a couple of key areas that they were found guilty on, one was failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work and also failing to provide information, instruction, training or supervision related to the task of cleaning that rotating knocking box," she said.

"There was a number of other employees who have been working in this machine as well and clearly they were the lucky ones in this regard, because it's just a very simple thing of being able to de-power a machine, so it can be cleaned, also to make employees aware and train them properly in the use of them."

The company is due to appear before the Melbourne County Court on February 1.

Source: ABC News, 5 December 2012