SA school charged after student hurt in hammer-throw incident - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Police attended St Albans Reserve in 2024 when a student was struck in a hammer-throwing incident. (ABC News: Dean Faulkner)
SafeWork SA has lodged criminal proceedings against an Adelaide school over a hammer-throwing incident that seriously injured a student.
The safety watchdog alleges students and workers were "exposed to risks to their health and safety" when the incident occurred in September 2024.
The matter is expected to appear in the SA Employment Court at a later date.
Criminal proceedings have been lodged against an Adelaide school after a student was seriously injured during an athletics training incident.
A Christian Brothers College student was struck in the head with a hammer-throw ball at St Albans Reserve at Clearview on September 5, 2024.
In a statement, SafeWork SA said a worker was also allegedly "exposed to the risk of being struck".
It said it had lodged the proceedings against Edmund Rice Education Australia Colleges Ltd, trading as Christian Brothers College (CBC), in South Australia's Employment Court earlier this month.
The safety watchdog said it had charged the school with a category two offence under the Work Health and Safety Act.
"It is alleged that workers and students participating in athletics training at St Albans Reserve, Clearview, were exposed to risks to their health and safety while undertaking javelin and hammer throw activities, in close proximity to each other, on 5 September 2024," SafeWork SA said in the statement.
"SafeWork SA alleges the school failed to provide adequate instruction or training to workers responsible for organising and supervising the athletics training and failed to ensure its safety policies and procedures were followed."
SafeWork SA says it lodged the proceedings against Christian Brothers College earlier this month. (YouTube: SafeWork SA)
The safety watchdog said it would be further alleged that the school "failed to perform an adequate hazard identification and risk assessment for the athletics training".
According to the statement, the school allegedly "failed to maintain a safe work environment" by failing to ensure the hammer throwing was not carried out in close proximity to students participating in javelin and by not using a safety cage that complied with the relevant industry safety standards.
"SafeWork SA alleges these failures exposed workers and students to a risk of death or serious injury from being struck by a hammer throw ball," SafeWork SA said.
The matter is expected to appear in the SA Employment Court at a later date.
