5 failures resulted in death of apprentice mechanic

A Gold Coast truck dealership was recently fined $400,000 after a preventable explosion caused the death of a 21-year-old apprentice (WorkSafe Queensland v James Frizelle’s Automotive Group Pty Ltd [2025]).

The dealership, James Frizelle’s Automotive Group Pty Ltd (trading as Gold Coast Isuzu), conducted a business in the sale and service of new, used and demonstrator Isuzu trucks, and the sale of Isuzu parts. On the date of the incident in October 2022, a 21-year-old apprentice heavy diesel mechanic was directed to de-rim a used metal drum to be used for storage purposes. To do this, the apprentice set up the drum in the ‘bin room’, which housed an environment of ignitable vapours. The apprentice was in the process of de-rimming the drum using an electric handheld grinder when a spark from the grinder caused an explosion. The apprentice was engulfed in flames, suffering full thickness burns to 95% of his body. He later died from his injuries.

Two other workers who were within the vicinity of the explosion also suffered burns. One of these workers, who was standing at the bin room entry, suffered burns to 15% of his body. The other worker suffered partial thickness burns to both of his hands and the tip of his nose after attempting to put out the flames engulfing the apprentice. A fourth worker suffered psychological injuries.

In its judgment, the Court found that the defendant had failed to:

Provide adequate training and supervision in de-rimming metal drums.
Conduct a formal risk assessment of the activity.
Draft and implement a safe working procedure outlining how the activity was to be performed.
Correctly store and label flammable and combustible liquids.
Post safety signage in areas where flammable and combustible liquids and hazardous chemicals were stored.

The Court found the risk of explosion from de-rimming a metal drum in an ignitable room was obvious and foreseeable, and there were clear measures available that would have minimised this risk. The Court found that these measures were not complex or burdensome, and could easily have been implemented prior to the fatal incident.

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