Tag: Century Yuasa

Carole Park Battery Factory Ordered to Improve Safety After Worker Loses Finger

Century Yuasa, one of Australia’s most prominent and long-standing battery manufacturers, has been instructed to undertake a comprehensive safety review following a harrowing workplace accident in Carole Park.

Read: Century Yuasa Factory in Carole Park Plans Expansion, More Jobs

In November 2020, a factory worker lost a finger and suffered a thumb “degloving” incident during the night shift. The unfortunate incident occurred when the worker’s hand became ensnared in a machine. The worker was injured while cleaning the rotary divider section of a battery plate production line. Subsequently, he was rushed to the hospital, where it was necessary to amputate one of his fingers due to the severity of the injury. 

This has prompted Worksafe Queensland to issue an enforcement notice, highlighting concerns over the company’s compliance with health and safety regulations.

Worksafe Queensland’s Notice

Worksafe Queensland alleged that the company failed to meet its health and safety obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. As a result, Century Yuasa accepted an “enforceable undertaking” (EU) as an alternative to other enforcement measures. The EU includes several key requirements to enhance safety measures at the battery factory:

  • Hiring a consultant to identify the top five manual tasks with injury risks.
  • Implementing automation in production processes to reduce or eliminate manual handling in the battery assembly area.
  • Engaging a consultant to conduct an audit of the rotary extender and assembly lines.

Company Background and Expansion

Century Yuasa Batteries, Australia’s oldest battery manufacturer, has recently experienced significant growth in response to the heightened demand for batteries driven by the work-from-home trend during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company, which produces over 1.5 million batteries annually for cars, trucks, and other vehicles, expanded its operations by adding extra night shifts and hiring more than 20 new employees as part of a $21 million expansion initiative. 

This expansion was made possible through substantial investments in new machinery for lead plates in batteries, increasing production by a remarkable 58 per cent.

Century Yuasa Carole Park
Photo Credit: Jess Pugh MP for Mount Ommaney/Facebook

The factory has also been a popular location for political figures, attracting the attention of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, ministers, and local MPs, who frequently visit for photo opportunities.

Read: Iconic Brand Reels Out After More Than a Century

As Century Yuasa embarks on enhancing its safety measures, it seeks to ensure a safer working environment for its employees, preventing further accidents like the one in 2020 and maintaining its prominent position as a key player in Australia’s battery manufacturing industry.

Published 18-Oct-2023

Century Yuasa Factory in Carole Park Plans Expansion, More Jobs


Century Yuasa, the oldest battery manufacturer in Australia, is planning a major expansion that will not only boost production but also increase job opportunities as demand for cars, boats, and motorbikes batteries ramp up.

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After acquiring new machinery for manufacturing battery lead plates, Century Yuasa operations manager Matthieu Anquetil said that demands have been dictated by the COVID trends that saw more commuters ditching public transport to take private cars or to refurbished used cars that need new batteries. 

With new machinery in place, estimated to produce 380,000 lead plates per day, the Carole Park factory is also going to have more staff to help with production. The plan is to increase the workforce from 20 to 160 within the year. The move comes after the factory added a night shift line in October 2020, and a second night shift line in February 2021. 

Mr Anquetil said that Century Yuasa’s focus on building batteries made for the Australian setting has been rewarding despite stiff competition from cheap imports and foreign battery manufacturers. However, the quality of a battery made for Australians has given the company its edge.

“We design our products to be specially tailored to the Australian market, inclusive of Australian conditions and Australian consumers,” Mr Anquetil said.  

“We go from a temperate climate in Melbourne to a more tropical one in Darwin. Usually, that’s a different environment for the battery; and whether it’s for a deep cycle application, marine application, your day-to-day metro run, or long-haul trucks around Australia, all these products require specific attention and a different mix of elements inside the batteries.”    

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The Carole Park site produces about 1.2 million car batteries every year, including vehicles for marine and defence use. 

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Century Yuasa was established in Sydney in 1928. Across the country and New Zealand, the company employs more than 650 individuals who are into sales, distribution, and research or development, aside from manufacturing.