Mineral processing facility sentenced for lead-risk work failures
At a time when Australia is transitioning to an updated Workplace Exposure Standard, a Victorian mineral processing facility was fined $10,000 last week for its failure to arrange for biological monitoring of employees engaged in lead-risk work (WorkSafe Victoria v On Site Laboratory Services Pty Ltd [2026]).
On Site Laboratory Services Pty Ltd (On Site) is the only ISO-certified mineral facility in Victoria. It receives and breaks down core samples from mines to determine how much gold or other metal is contained in the samples. This process requires On Site’s employees to perform a fire assay analysis, which is a pyrometallurgical method that uses high temperatures and chemical reactions to separate precious metals from impurities.
Under regulation 198(1A) of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, an employer must arrange for biological monitoring of all employees engaged in lead-risk works at varying intervals depending on the individual’s reproductive capacity and most recent blood test results. Lead risk work is defined under the Regulations as “work performed in a lead process that is reasonably likely to cause the blood lead level of the employee to exceed (in the case of any person other than a woman of reproductive capacity) 0.97micromoles/litre (20 micrograms/decilitre)”. Regulation 178(k) provides that a lead process includes fire assays, if lead is used.
Although On Site’s employees underwent blood testing if they performed fire assay services, a WorkSafe Victoria inspection on 12 September 2024 found that On Site had failed to arrange the required follow-up testing for two employees whose most recent blood test results indicated that further testing was necessary. WorkSafe issued an improvement notice on 19 September, which was deemed complied on 16 October 2024.
On Site’s failure also constituted a breach of section 22(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. The company pleaded guilty and was fined $10,000, without conviction.
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