12:11 pm, Wednesday 28 October, 2009

The Industrial Court of New South Wales imposed a fine on Sid Fogg and Sons and its director for a 2006 workplace accident involving the companyÂ’s apprentice and an oild drum explosion.

The Newcastle-based Bus Company was fined $80,000 while one of its directors, Graham Stanley, was meted a $15,000 penalty.

The Sid Fogg company and Mr. Stanley pleaded guilty for failing to ensure that non-employees were protected from health and safety risks at the workplace.

The court found that Jared Preece, an apprentice of Sid Fogg, was using an Oxy-Acetylene Torch to open an empty oil drum when it blew up. The explosion caused the lid of the drum to fly off about 12 metres and to tear apart a section of the roof.

The court judgment further reveals that Sid Fogg employees used an oxy-acetylene torch to open empty oil drums from time to time. Preece had seen this practice and was even given an informal training on how to do it.

On the day of the accident, he used the procedure given to him, although he failed to wash out the oil drum or take out the bungs first. He was also unsupervised when he used the torch to open the drum.

Because of the explosion, Preece suffered minor burns to his forearms, chest and face.

After the incident, Sid Fogg prohibited persons from using an oxy-acetylene torch to cut empty oil drums.

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