Wodonga abattoir worker had foot crushed by forklift: court

The injured man was working at the Wodonga abattoir in September 2023 when a forklift driven by Thomas William Rogerson ran over and badly damaged his foot. File picture

A man who had his leg crushed by a forklift while working at the Wodonga abattoir, breaking multiple bones, fears he may have a limp for the rest of his life.

The man feared his left foot could have been amputated following the September 2023 incident at Wodonga Rendering.

Thomas William Rogerson, 30, had been employed by Braut Engineering to build steel frames with the victim at the meatworks.

Rogerson had been warned not to use a forklift at the site as he wasn't qualified.

Rogerson and the victim had welded frames without incident on September 16, 2023.

But when Rogerson decided to move the frames late the following day to avoid an obstruction for workers, things went awry.

The forklift he was using caught the victim's foot and his shoulder hit a steel frame.

He fell to the ground and his foot was run over, crushing both his foot and ankle.

The victim told the Wodonga Magistrates Court on Friday, May 16, that both sides of his left ankle suffered a compound fracture and the impact "cleanly broke the fibula".

"I've had countless sleepless nights due to pain," he said.

"I might have to suffer with a minor limp for the rest of my life."

The man said he was disappointed by how the incident had been handled.

Rogerson was charged and admitted to a workplace safety offence.

Defence lawyer Chirag Patel said the incident was a freak accident while his client went "above and beyond the call of duty" to move the frames for the next morning's shift.

Yet prosecutor Duncan Chisholm said it was a "serious departure from acceptable safety standards".

Magistrate Ian Watkins told Rogerson the victim was younger and less experienced.

He said while Rogerson had been moving the frames as an act of expediency to get the job done, he had been previously told not to use the forklift.

"The outcome and the significance of that, for the victim, your workmate, was quite horrendous," Mr Watkins said.

Rogerson, who now works at an abattoir in Corowa as a fitter and turner, was ordered to contribute $1000 to the court fund and pay legal costs of $2000.

He was placed on an adjourned undertaking without conviction.