Harnah Pty Ltd (trading as Hamilton Diesel Repairs and Spares - HDRS) has been sentenced to a fine of $30,000 after pleading guilty to failing to conduct a risk assessment or identification, and for failing to provide the information, instruction, training or supervision required to ensure the safety of a work experience student.
In November 2024 a 15 year old work experience student was assigned a task to loosen a hose clamp to release pressure in the coolant system and to drain the radiator of a vehicle being serviced outside the HDRS workshop. The vehicle had been running for some time to determine whether it was overheating. The student was not being directly supervised as he undertook the task and the mechanic that requested him to drain the radiator was inside the workshop working on another vehicle.
The student was not instructed to first loosen the radiator cap to depressurise the system, so when he accessed the underside of the Ute and disconnected the bottom hose clamp, hot coolant sprayed out from the radiator onto him. He suffered extensive burns to his face, hands and chest, as well as psychological injuries from the incident. His treatment for those injuries has required him to undergo multiple skin grafts.
HDRS had completed a Work Experience Arrangement Form prior to the student beginning his work experience activities. In that form HDRS committed to identify, assess and control all risks related to the work undertaken by the student. They also committed to nominate a supervisor who would be responsible for ensuring HDRS’s obligations to the student were fulfilled and to provide the student with the appropriate level of information, instruction, training and supervision.
There are three types of workplace supervision – direct, indirect and broad. For an inexperienced young worker such as a student conducting work experience tasks, it is reasonable to expect direct supervision be maintained at all times when undertaking risky tasks - the Work Experience Arrangement Form includes a commitment to provide such direct supervision.
Young workers, including apprentices and work experience students, are a vulnerable group of workers who are at higher risk of injury or incident in the workplace. Extra levels of information, instruction, training and supervision are reasonable to provide for this cohort.
There was a risk to the student of serious injury from hot coolant spilling or spraying onto him. To eliminate or reduce that risk, it is reasonably practicable to expect HDRS to develop and implement a policy that identifies the special risk factors associated with work experience students, identifies the risks associated with performing vehicle maintenance and repairs, and provides for a nominated supervisor to maintain direct supervision of the work experience student and to assist when required.
Read more: Prosecution Result Summaries and Enforceable Undertakings | WorkSafe Victoria