Victorian education department charged after student has fingertips severed in guillotine accident

The Victorian Department of Education has been charged after a student suffered serious injuries when using a guillotine during class.

The 15-year-old Beechworth Secondary College student was injured in February 2024 while using the machine to cut sheet metal.

His hand was crushed in a shear point between the guillotine and its table, with the boy severing multiple fingertips.

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WorkSafe has now charged the Department of Education with three offences related to the accident.

The workplace safety watchdog alleges the department failed to provide guarding that prevented access to the rear of the guillotine.

It also allegedly “failed to provide adequate supervision”, WorkSafe said, and did not ensure there were warning signs or restricted access to the guillotine.

The matter is listed for a mention hearing in the Wodonga Magistrates Court in January 2026.