Rose and Co Services fined after explosion injures six workers
A Shepparton recycling plant has been hauled to court after an explosion caused by aerosol cans injured six employees, with several receiving severe burns.
Goulburn Valley
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A Shepparton recycling plant failed to give an employee instructions on the hazards of dangerous goods, leading to an explosion that injured six workers, a court has heard.
Rose and Co Services Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe system of work and breaching Dangerous Goods Regulations by failing to instruct workers on the nature of hazards and properties of dangerous goods at the workplace.
The company appeared in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on March 20 to be sentenced.
In May 2023, aerosol cans were being shredded by a machine when an explosion injured six workers, including two who were flown to The Alfred’s Burns Unit.
A worker who was clearing scrap metal from beneath the shredder at the time suffered severe burns to his back and arms, while a second worker, who was on a forklift next to the shredder, sustained severe burns to his face and upper body.
The court heard flames from the explosion spread up to 18m from the shredder before workers used fire extinguishers to stop the blaze.
WorkSafe’s investigation found almost all of the cans on the conveyor belt leading to the shredder were still pressurised, despite some being marked with the warning “empty to recycle”, and that bulk containers stacked nearby had reduced ventilation in the area.
WorkSafe found it was reasonable for the company to have reduced the risk of an explosion by emptying or puncturing aerosols before shredding, using ventilation such as fans while the shredder was operating, and not storing bulk containers in a way that reduced ventilation around the machine.
The court also heard the company failed to provide the worker operating the shredder with instructions about the hazards and properties of dangerous goods, including aerosols.
The company was fined $30,000 for the Occupational Health and Safety Act breach and $5000 for the Dangerous Goods Regulations breach.
It was also ordered to pay $5292 in costs.
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