Insulation installer fined six figures

A Queensland company that pleaded guilty to safety breaches after the electrocution
of a teenage insulation installer has been fined $135,000.
Reuben Barnes, 16, was electrocuted while installing fibreglass insulation in a
Stanwell home, near Rockhampton in central Queensland, on November 18, 2009.
He was one of four people who died during the rollout of the Rudd government's
multi-billion-dollar home insulation program, which was also blamed for almost 100
house fires.
Arrow Property Maintenance Pty Ltd was charged in the Rockhampton Industrial
Magistrates Court with failing to conduct its business or undertaking it in a way
that was electrically safe, and failing to ensure its workers were protected from
falls from height.
An investigation found the company allowed work to proceed without the house's
electricity being turned off.
It also failed to provide workers with first-aid training in the event of electric
shock and did not offer proper induction training.
The company had no "specific or documented procedures in place for installation of
insulation" the investigation found.
Barnes was given an aluminium pole to position insulation batts and there were no
procedures in place for working at heights, investigators discovered.
Rockhampton industrial magistrate John McGrath fined the company $110,000 for the
electrical safety breach.
It is the highest fine imposed on a company for a breach of Queensland's Electrical
Safety Act causing the death of a worker.
Mr McGrath also fined Arrow $25,000 for the workplace health and safety breach.
In his judgment, Mr McGrath said the company was derelict in its duty.
He said he took into account the company had shown remorse, entered a timely plea of
guilty, co-operated with the investigation and previously had a clean record.
Arrow is also liable to pay legal fees, investigation costs and court costs
totalling $14,794.90 and the convictions will be recorded.
The case of the death of another insulation installer, Matthew Fuller, 24, is due
back in Beenleigh Industrial Magistrates Court on October 1.
Investigations into the deaths of installer Mitchell Sweeney, 22, in February this
year and Marcus Wilson, 19, in November 2009 are ongoing.
The three were not employed with Arrow.