The company pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching WorkCover legislation in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court prosecuted by WorkSafe relating to failing to address a risk and failing to provide instruction or training.

The maximum fine for the offences is about $370,000.

Magistrate Cynthia Toose said the case involved a “very significant” incident when an employee sustained a severe head injury on June 27, 2015.

She said the employee was conducting maintenance in a storage area and that nothing done in the court case would rectify the position the worker now found himself in.

Ms Toose said she was not dealing with compensation issues, only with Midfield Meat as an employer.

The magistrate said the case had been resolved early, she heard the company did possibly have a defence but did not want to further traumatise the injured worker or fellow employees.

Ms Toose said it was regrettable there was some level of miscommunication but the company accepted that it had not done all it could have.

"The consequences were very significant. The company has now done all it can to address issues raised," she said, including employing experts and putting new safety procedures in place.

In addition to the fine, Midfield Meat will also pay WorkSafe costs of $9304.

In submissions, the magistrate heard that a robotic system had been installed in a storage facility which involved a platform that went up and down and also moved horizontally.

Workers called a fitter and turner after the equipment became problematic, but there was a misunderstanding and the fitter and turner undertook the maintenance by himself.

The other employers had planned to do a job safety assessment with the fitter and turner before undertaking the maintenance.

Instead the fitter and turner separated a motor from the gearbox and the platform fell and hit his head, causing the severe injury.

The magistrate was told it was a new expensive piece of equipment and the risk of the platform falling had not been identified by the manufacturer.

Midfield Meat has two prior court appearances, one 20 years ago involving an electrocution incident and the other 10 years ago relating to failing to guard a piece of the plant.

Since 2010 Midfield Meat has contributed about $2 million to community projects and causes, involving donations to public and private hospitals, Emmanuel College and the Peter's Project cancer treatment centre initiative.