Thursday 29th April 2021

Thursday 29th April 2021 – Charges laid over severe burns inflicted on young ringer in NT.

A cattle mustering contractor has been charged with four breaches of the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011, by NT WorkSafe after a 44-gallon Avgas drum exploded and left an 18-year old worker with severe burns.

It is alleged the contractor and his workers were at a camp on Montejinni Station, approximately 320 kilometres southwest of Katherine, mustering cattle. NT WorkSafe alleges the contractor directed two workers to use a 44-gallon Avgas drum as a rubbish bin by cutting the lid off it.

While the contractor and other workers left the camp to muster cattle, the two workers attempted to wash the drum, then an 18-year old worker cut the drum with an angle grinder, causing an explosion that resulted in burns to their hands, arms, face and nasal passage.

Despite the first aider at Montejinni Station assessing the injuries as first and second-degree burns, NT WorkSafe alleges the contractor did not contact emergency services or arrange for the injured worker to be transported to receive appropriate medical treatment.

The contractor faces the most serious charge under section 31 of the Act, known as a Category 1 offence for a serious workplace incident that does not involve death. He is also charged with failing to notify NT WorkSafe of the incident until seven days after it occurred, well beyond the required notification date.

The matter is listed for mention in the Darwin Local Court on 9 June 2021.

Read the full article on the NT WorkSafe website.

Incidents like this highlight why makeshift rubbish bins and improvised equipment have no place on a worksite, particularly where flammable residue may remain present. Employers reviewing their obligations today should ensure workers are never directed to repurpose hazardous containers without proper decontamination and risk assessment.

For more recent workplace safety news, see our previous roundups from Thursday 22nd April 2021, Thursday 15th April 2021 and Thursday 8th April 2021, which cover similar breaches and enforcement action taken across Australian worksites. Staying updated today, and checking back each week, helps safety professionals track emerging risks and regulatory outcomes as they unfold.