Shocking near miss at Royal Australian Mint sparks $1m safety pledge

This is the shocking moment a worker narrowly missed being crushed under a three-tonne coin press.

Shocking footage shows two contractors at the Royal Australian Mint (RAM) trying to move the piece of heavy equipment with a forklift.

But in an instant to place the hearts firmly in the mouths, the equipment begins to shake before falling to the ground.

Fortunately, disaster was averted when a nearby worker miraculously managed to move out of the way just in time.

But this dramatic moment led to a series of security changes in the organization at a cost of $1 million.

The incident occurred in Canberra in May 2019 but was investigated by Comcare.

This investigation led to three charges being laid against the Mint under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2011.

It was alleged by Comcare that the Mint had failed to provide a safe system of work and a safe working environment for contractors moving the press.

But the accusations did not result in an investigation after the Mint agreed to make a $1 million commitment for health and safety improvements.

Justin Napier, Comcare’s head of regulatory operations, said the undertaking contained a number of legally binding commitments.

“RAM has assured Comcare that it has improved staff training for high-risk activities, created a new contractor-specific mandate and revised the risk management system across the organisation,” he said.

“The outcomes proposed in the WHS commitment will result in further measurable improvements in WHS outcomes for the workplace, industry and society.”

The Mint also pledged to spend $1.1 million on health and safety measures over the next two years.