A TODDLER’S father is the third man to die due to a factory tragedy in the region in the past week.
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The 24-year-old was working at Benalla’s D & R Henderson sawmill and particleboard factory when his body was believed to have become entangled in a conveyor belt.
CFMEU assistant secretary Andrew Vendramini said the man had toiled at the Yarrawonga Road factory for the past three to four months as a labour hire employee before the incident at about midday on Wednesday.
“We’re not entirely sure what happened, there were no witnesses,” Mr Vendramini said.
The union official has visited the factory, with staff telling him their workmate was a father of a two-year-old and had been expecting another child with his partner.
Henderson’s general manager of manufacturing Richard Kaine issued a four-paragraph statement in response to the sad event.
“It is with regret that D & R Henderson advises that it has suffered a fatality,” he said.
“The company is co-operating and providing full support with police and WorkSafe Victoria inquiries.
“D & R Henderson’s thoughts are with family of the deceased and is continuing to provide counselling assistance to staff.
“At this stage, D & R Henderson is not able to provide further details until the investigations are complete and we appreciate your understanding during this difficult time.”
Mr Vendramini expressed sympathy for the man’s family, workmates and friends.
“We want everyone to go home to their families, so for this to happen is a tragedy, especially with what happened with the two deaths at the paper mill,” he said.
“That’s three deaths in a week, which we need to look at to make sure they do not happen or re-occur.”
Operations continued at Hendersons on Thursday with WorkSafe inspectors touring the site.
Wednesday’s fatality was the first work-related death at the mill which opened in the mid-1980s.
However, in 2004 the business was convicted and fined $50,000 by a magistrate after pleading guilty to work safety charges related to a worker having his legs crushed in a faulty machine in 2001.
The man’s legs had to be surgically amputated following his rescue which took several hours and involved help from the SES.
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