In a follow up to the charging of a chemical company after a worker died at a Derrimut factory in October 2023, WorkSafe have now charged the general manager of the company for failing to take reasonable care as an officer of ACB Group Pty Ltd.
WorkSafe alleges two of the contraventions the company was earlier charged over were attributable to the general manager in that he knew or ought to have known the risks associated with static electricity discharges yet failed to implement a safe system of work and failed to ensure workers received necessary information, instruction and training.
It follows the death of a 44-year-old man, who was working inside the factory when an explosion and fire occurred during the blending of flammable liquids.
WorkSafe’s investigation into a chemical explosion and fire at the same factory in July 2024 remains ongoing.
The ABC reports that ACB Group Pty Ltd entered voluntary liquidation owing millions in early 2025.
Read more: Manager charged after fatal factory fire | WorkSafe Victoria