$25,000 fine a 'huge wakeup call' for unlicensed electrical contractor
Electric shock and serious burn injuries to a worker has given an unlicensed electrical business in Cairns a ‘huge wake-up call’ and a major overhaul of the company’s policies and guidelines.
The Cairns-based electrical business was fined $25,000 after an Electrical Safety Office (ESO) investigation into the incident.
The defendant confirmed in court that he has since put in place stringent guidelines for training and safety after what he described as a ‘huge wake up call’ when the worker was injured.
The owner of Woods Electrical Service pleaded guilty to failing to meet its obligation under sections 27 (b) and 30 of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (the Act) for a breach causing grievous bodily harm and for failure to ensure that his business or undertaking was conducted in an electrically safe way.
The Cairns Industrial Magistrate’s Court heard that in October 2007, an electrical worker employed by Woods Electrical Service received a severe electric shock and burn injuries while repairing an industrial dishwasher at a resort north of Cairns.
The owner was prosecuted for carrying on a business as an electrical contractor without an appropriate licence and for failing to meet his statutory safety obligations as an employer.
The injuries occurred through the use of a faulty multimeter which should have been tested before use with testing incorporated into the system of work. This was not done.
The ESO investigation revealed the owner was not the holder of an electrical contractor’s licence and his business did not have adequate policies or procedures in place with respect to safe systems of work. There was no induction for new employees and no ongoing training for staff.
The ESO viewed the matter as serious because there was no adequate system in place. This applied even with an understanding that some fault may lie with the worker. The prosecution was aware remedial measures were taken by the defendant, in terms of instituting safe systems and obtaining a contractors’ licence.