Building contractor in firing line following grout gun incident

In a recent Queensland prosecution, a building contractor was found to have failed to protect its workers when it directed them to undertake incidental works using a grout gun, which resulted in an apprentice suffering an injury to the eye.

The company conducted a business installing portal frames but agreed to do an ‘add-on’ job in 2023 that involved filing fire doors with grouting product. Two young apprentices were given this task but they were not:

instructed in how to safely complete the job;
provided with adequate personal protective equipment; or
adequately supervised.

The company also failed to risk assess the task and provide safe work instruction on how to complete the task.

During the works, the grout product hardened in the guns. The apprentices reported this to the supervisor. One apprentice shook the gun to loosen the grout and pointed it towards his face. The gun discharged and the grout product went in his eye, causing permanent injury and almost complete loss of vision in that eye.

In imposing a fine of $90,000, the Court noted the simple steps that could have been taken to remove the risk of injury and the vulnerable nature of the young workers undertaking a task that was unsupervised.

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