The Melbourne meatworks at the centre of Victoria’s largest outbreak during the first wave has been cleared after a probe into COVID-19 workplace protocols.
WorkSafe Victoria confirmed in May it was investigating the outbreak at Brooklyn’s Cedar Meats, which infected at least 111 people.
The independent regulator’s chief executive Colin Radford revealed at a Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing on Tuesday that the investigation had concluded and no prosecutions would follow.
“We have not found evidence of any breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act,” he said.
The probe had been examining whether social distancing measures were in place at the abattoir, and if workers were provided with appropriate personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser.
The state government and Cedar Meats’ management both defended their handling of the outbreak, including the decision to allow staff to work for several days after workers tested positive.
Cedar Meats general manager Tony Kairouz told an upper house inquiry into the state’s contact tracing system last month that one of his workers was refused a COVID-19 test twice.
He said the worker was sent home sick on 17 April, but was unable to be tested as he was “not presenting with all the symptoms that would be necessary at the time to warrant a COVID test”.
“The third time he went to the doctor he insisted on a COVID test to which the doctor then obliged, that turned out to be positive,” Mr Kairouz said.
A second worker tested positive while being treated at Sunshine Hospital after severing his thumb at work on 23 April.
Cedar Meats wasn’t notified of the cases until 27 April and the company was unable to disclose a full list of workers to contact tracers until 4 May due to legislative restraints at the time.
There are still 24 active investigations into potential COVID-19 workplace breaches, Mr Radford said, including a broad probe into the botched hotel quarantine program and others into age care facilities and retail stores.
“Each of those investigations is ongoing,” he said.
It comes as Victoria reported no new cases on Tuesday, as another 114 overseas travellers were transferred to the state’s rebooted hotel quarantine set-up.
There were 1043 international travellers in Victorian quarantine hotels as of 11pm on Monday, with an extra 127 expected to arrive after touching down on Tuesday.
Only five of the 13 travellers admitted on Monday to the so-called Novotel “hot hotel” in Melbourne’s South Wharf are considered symptomatic or a close contact.
Victoria has now gone 46 days without a locally acquired case of COVID-19.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirusPlease check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania
