A national corporation says it has tightened its safety regime after one of its employees was fatally pinned to a hopper behind the Evatt shops in 2009.
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Geoffrey William "Blackfella" Gowan, a father of three, had been working for SITA Environmental Solutions for only one week at the time of his death on January 13.
It was his 57th birthday.
On Thursday, a Canberra court convicted two companies – the employer SITA Australia and labour hire company Adecco Industrial Pty Ltd – of negligence for failing to comply with safety duties.
Both pleaded guilty to the charges and both were fined the maximum penalty of $5000.
A SITA statement, issued after the decision, said the company deeply regretted Mr Gowan’s death.
"We offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends," it said.
"SITA accepts full responsibility for not complying with its safety obligations in relation to the incident, and has worked cooperatively with ACT WorkSafe throughout its enquiry."
The company said it had implemented significant improvements to its safety systems since the workplace death.
"These include a number of changes which will ensure that a similar incident never happens again."
Mr Gowan was trapped between the arm of the crane and the control panel on the side of the truck while collecting rubbish in pre-dawn darkness.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, but found him dead on arrival.
An investigation into the death raised concerns about Mr Gowan’s training in the use of the crane.
Authorities also said Mr Gowan's lack of experience, and the fact no training or licensing were required to use the machine, might have contributed to the fatal accident.
A coronial inquest into the death heard the area where the accident occurred had been poorly lit, and it appeared the back light on the truck had not been switched on at the time.
