Comcare investigation finds safety failures led to the death of young army recruit

 An investigation by federal workplace safety regulator, Comcare has found that safety failures led to the death of a young army recruit in April 2019. Comcare said the Defence Department failed to manage safety risks at an army training centre in regional New South Wales before the death of the 18-year-old man.

The teenager died in hospital after falling off an obstacle during a training exercise in Kapooka on April 19, 2019. He sustained a brain injury during the fall.

In a statement, Comcare said it had completed investigations into the incident.

"Comcare's investigation into the incident identified failures in the Department of Defence's management of work health and safety risks for the obstacle course at Kapooka," it said.

"Defence has acted on Comcare's recommendations to revise and improve its risk assessment for the course and improve the provision of first aid equipment and training."

The Commandant of Kapooka, Colonel Andrew Deacon said the Defence Department conducted a thorough risk assessment soon after the incident.

"In addition to that, before anyone uses the obstacle course, the person who is in charge of that activity will conduct a detailed inspection of all of the equipment ... to make sure it is serviceable, and nothing has changed since the last time it has been used," he said.

Read the full story on ABC News.