The Victorian Department of Education faces serious charges after a teenage student suffered devastating injuries while using industrial machinery during a classroom activity at Beechworth Secondary College.
Horrific Classroom Incident
In February 2024, a 15-year-old student experienced what should have been an ordinary technology class turn into a life-changing event. The teenager was operating a guillotine to cut sheet metal when the machinery trapped and crushed his hand.
The accident occurred when the boy's hand became caught in a shear point between the moving blade of the guillotine and its stationary table. The force of the machinery resulted in multiple severed fingertips, leaving the student with serious, potentially permanent injuries.
WorkSafe Investigation Reveals Safety Failures
Victoria's workplace safety regulator, WorkSafe, has now filed three separate charges against the Department of Education following a thorough investigation into the incident.
The safety watchdog alleges the department committed multiple breaches of its duty to provide a safe learning environment. WorkSafe claims the department failed to install proper guarding that would have prevented access to the dangerous rear section of the guillotine.
Additionally, investigators found the school allegedly provided inadequate supervision during the workshop activity. The department also stands accused of failing to ensure appropriate warning signs were displayed and not restricting access to the potentially dangerous equipment.
Legal Proceedings Begin
The matter has now entered the legal system, with a mention hearing scheduled at the Wodonga Magistrates Court in January 2026. This gives both parties time to prepare their cases before the court proceedings properly begin.
This case highlights the critical importance of workplace safety standards in educational environments where students use potentially dangerous equipment. The charges serve as a stark reminder to all educational institutions about their responsibility to maintain safe learning spaces.
As the legal process unfolds, the community awaits answers about how such a severe incident could occur in a supervised school environment and what changes will be implemented to prevent similar tragedies.
