Cleanaway charged over Sydney fatality
National waste management company Cleanaway has been charged with breaching federal work safety laws after a visitor to one of its Sydney facilities suffered fatal crush injuries.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions has filed a single charge alleging Cleanaway Operations Pty Ltd failed in its primary safety duty under the Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act).
The incident happened on 24 September 2024 at Cleanaway’s Lucas Heights Resource and Recovery Park – a large tip in Sydney’s south.
A worker employed by another company, Vaughan Civil Pty Ltd, was visiting the tip to offload waste when he was crushed between his own truck and a compactor driven by another worker on a job at the site.
As the site owner and operator, Cleanaway was responsible for traffic management at the facility and owed a legal duty to provide a safe workplace for visitors.
Following a Comcare investigation, it will be alleged the company failed to undertake a range of measures to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks, including:
- Conducting a mandatory site induction for drivers of waste vehicles who attended the tip face
- Providing these drivers with information about critical safety communications
- Implementing a site-specific traffic management plan that included clear procedures for drivers at the tip face when exiting vehicles.
The criminal charge against Cleanaway is a Category 2 offence under the WHS Act, carrying a maximum penalty of $2.32 million.
The matter is listed for mention in Downing Centre Local Court on 20 October 2026.
Cleanaway Operations Pty Ltd is a licenced national employer in the Comcare scheme and subject to regulation under Commonwealth work health and safety laws.
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