An electrician working on top of a grain silo had to be resuscitated after being engulfed in grain.
The electrical company he worked for, Austin Bros, and farming partnership Mark and Sonia Dillon were fined $35,000 and $69,000 respectively in a sentence this month following the incident.
Two electricians were working on top of the grain to wire up motors on the Dillons' property when a truck arrived to empty the silo. The driver turned on the grain outfeed auger, causing one of the electricians to become engulfed.
The electrician had to be dug out and resuscitated, with four rescuers requiring hospital treatment for breathing difficulties.
"The dangers of working on grain are well known," said WorkSafe chief inspector Keith Stewart.