CHRIS THOMSON

Garbage giant Transpacific has been fined $170,500 over the 2009 death of a worker at Alcoa’s alumina refinery in Wagerup southeast of Mandurah.

A decision published today by Federal Court judge Michael Barker states that on September 2, 2009, Transpacific broke the Federal work safety law when it failed to identify that open manholes at the refinery constituted a fall hazard.

On that day at the refinery, Transpacific employee Paul Herbert Fry fell through one of the manholes and 21 metres to his instant death.

Justice Barker also ruled Transpacific breached the law when it failed to undertake a risk assessment of the fall hazard and close the manholes.

He heard that since the accident Transpacific and Alcoa have agreed to instal scaffolding across the manholes to prevent a future fatal fall.