Kurt Budden’s family devastated by ‘little’ penalty for teen’s workplace death
The shattered family of a Queensland teenager killed in a workplace incident have called out the “little” penalty given to the man meant to be supervising their son.
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The family of a Queensland teenager killed in a workplace incident are devastated by a “little” penalty given to the man meant to be supervising the apprentice when he died.
Kurt Budden, 16, died after he became trapped between a truck tray and the vehicle’s chassis at a local mechanic where he worked in Chinchilla in 2021.
Brock Paul Dann – who was Kurt’s supervisor on the day he died – was charged under the Workplace Health and Safety Act and fined $65,000 with no conviction recorded in court.
Kurt’s heartbroken family, including mother Sandra Budden, said they were upset by what they thought was an insignificant penalty for their son’s life.
“We are quite upset with the little penalty received and with no conviction,” Ms Budden said.
Kurt was a school-based apprentice who had been working at the heavy vehicle mechanic workshop for about 10 months.
On December 17, 2021, Mr Dann – who was the branch manager and a qualified heavy commercial vehicle mechanic – instructed Kurt to help him repair a hydraulic leak on a truck.
Mr Dann raised the truck and deployed a safety prop to keep the vehicle elevated while Kurt worked underneath.
After giving Kurt instructions, Mr Dann left the workshop for a short time and left Kurt alone to finish the job.
During the repair the truck dropped without warning, crushing Kurt underneath. He died in hospital two days later.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and Queensland Police Service investigated and revealed the safety prop had its end securing pin sheared off which led to the prop collapsing.
Mr Dann was found to have not deployed the safety bar properly, admitting he was unaware of the correct way to do it.
Mr Dann said he had not read the manual for the safety prop and deployed it the same way he had done multiple times before.
Magistrate Jacqueline Payne said the risk was obvious, and simple steps could have been taken to prevent the tragedy.
Ms Payne said Kurt was an inexperienced worker who was reliant on Mr Dann to ensure he was able to carry out his work safely, failing his duty as a worker, supervisor and as a manager.
“The crux of the defendant’s failure was his failure to obtain and consult the operator manual for the safety prop deployment,” court reports said.
Mr Dann co-operated fully with the investigation and had no previous convictions for any offending.
He pleaded guilty and was fined a $65,000 penalty and about $1100 in legal and court costs.
The fine was referred to SPER and no conviction was recorded.
Another person has also been charged over the incident, as well as the company. Those matters are yet to be finalised in court.
Kurt has been remembered as a hardworking young man who loved motorbikes, the outdoors and football.
Originally published as Kurt Budden’s family devastated by ‘little’ penalty for teen’s workplace death