Case

WorkSafe Victoria v J Hutchinson Pty Ltd (2025)

J Hutchinson Pty Ltd (JHB), which trades as Hutchinson Builders, operates in all Australian states and territories, and is usually involved in large-scale construction projects. In August 2024, a third-party delivery driver was delivering three large electrical switchboards to a site in Rosebud, Victoria, which was under JHB’s control. The switchboards were extremely heavy – the largest one weighing 770 kilograms. The driver was accompanied by his 21-year-old son who has a disability and was unemployed. 

After arriving on site, the driver’s son stood on the truck’s tray and began removing the straps securing the cargo. At the same time, one of JHB’s employees was driving a forklift towards the delivery truck to unload the switchboards. The forklift made contact with the unsecured load, causing the larger switchboard – and the driver’s son – to fall 1.6 metres to the ground. The switchboard landed on the driver’s son’s head and torso, resulting in serious, life-threatening crush injuries.