Buller Wines fined $50,000 in aggregate for Three Chain Road explosion
A gin distiller has been fined $50,000 in aggregate after an explosion at a gin-making event injured workers and customers.
A popular winery and gin distiller has been fined $50,000 for an explosion that injured workers and customers.
Buller Wines and its distillery Three Chain Road in Rutherglen, Victoria, copped the fine in aggregate after a personalised gin-making event went haywire in April 2022.
Some 11 customers were taking part in the experience when a 330L copper pot still exploded, WorkSafe said on Wednesday, lifting up and sending out a fireball that set the venue’s floor alight.
“Two workers and six customers were injured, with one customer taken to hospital and treated for burns to his face, forearm and neck, while another suffered burns to her leg and another burns to her lower back,” WorkSafe said.
“Other injuries included bruising, singed hair, anxiety, headaches, ear pain and ringing ears.”
The matter was heard in court, and WorkSafe said the court had been told the explosion occurred because there was not enough water placed in the still to cover the heating elements, which set fire to ingredients added by the participants, leading to the ignition of ethanol vapours.
“The venue’s assistant winemaker, who had not previously undertaken small batch distillation, was running the experience for the first time and had been given separate recipe and run sheets which set out different water and ethanol quantities,” WorkSafe said.
“The court found it was necessary and reasonably practicable for Buller Wines to provide staff with information about the risk of an ethanol explosion if the still’s heating elements were not submerged, as well as instruction and training in how to prepare the required quantities of ethanol and water in marked containers, check that the heating elements were fully submerged and have each step checked and confirmed before turning on the still.”
Buller Wines was sentenced without conviction in Wodonga Magistrates Court.
The company pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to provide necessary information, instruction and training for employees to work safely and one charge of failing to ensure persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.
Buller Wines senior part owner Gerald Judd said the distiller had received a “very fair hearing” from the magistrate.
“She understood the situation and the fine and conviction was discretionary,” he told NewsWire on Wednesday.
“She showed a good understanding of what had gone on.
“I have no criticism of the proceedings. They were fair to all parties.
“But the magistrate has to deal with the law. And she was excellent in her dealings with it.”