Charity fined after student set alight in science experiment gone wrong
The student was admitted to hospital with burns to 9 per cent of his body, while the teacher sustained “superficial dermal burns” to 5 per cent of their body
Chabad Youth Limited pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to ensure persons other than employees weren’t exposed to health and safety risks.
The organisation was subsequently ordered to pay a $45,000 fine and more than $7000 in legal costs at a sentencing hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this month.
According to WorkSafe, the charity admitted it was reasonably practicable to have ensured that the educator wore protective clothing while conducting the experiment; that students were either kept at least two metres away from the experiment, provided with the same protective gear, or both.
Two of the organisation’s directors were contacted for comment in relation to the incident.
WorkSafe’s health and safety executive director Sam Jenkin said using hazardous materials required careful planning and consideration of risks.
“Experiments using highly flammable substances can be an important educational tool but can have potentially catastrophic consequences if things go wrong,” Jenkin said.
Magistrate Roslyn Porter did not hand down a conviction, noting it would have an impact on the charity’s reputation. She acknowledged the importance of the services the organisation provides.
The gravity of the risk was “very high as illustrated by the injuries sustained”, the magistrate said in her decision.
She also considered the organisation co-operated with the investigation, pleaded guilty early and had an “unblemished history” in its 50 years of operation.
