Cleanaway is facing legal action after a workplace accident resulted in an employee being hospitalized for a hand injury. 

The incident, which occurred in June 2021, involved the employee's hand getting caught in a machine used for compressing cardboard and plastics into bales during a routine maintenance procedure.

The injured worker suffered multiple fractures and lacerations to their fingers, requiring immediate medical attention. 

Cleanaway Operations Pty Ltd is a prominent national waste management company, 

Following an investigation by WHS regulator Comcare, the matter will now be brought before the ACT Magistrates Court on July 20. 

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) has lodged a charge against Cleanaway for breaching federal work and health safety laws, asserting that the company neglected its responsibilities.

The CDPP has specifically alleged that Cleanaway, being a licensed national employer within the Comcare scheme, failed to ensure a safe working environment and neglected to provide adequate training to its employees. 

The allegations state that Cleanaway did not install appropriate guarding mechanisms to prevent access to the internal moving parts of the baling machine. 

Additionally, the company allegedly did not adequately inform or train workers on how to isolate power to the machine during maintenance procedures.

If convicted of the category 2 criminal offence, Cleanaway could face a fine of up to $1.5 million. 

Cleanaway, which operates numerous facilities across the country, employs approximately 7,200 people nationwide. 

The company's management will now await the court proceedings as they prepare their defence against the charges brought forth by the CDPP.