A Queensland concreting business and its director have been fined $42,500 in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court after unsafe electrical practises exposed people to the risk of serious injury or death.
The charges relate to work undertaken in August of 2017, in Glenvale. The business had been contracted to pour a concrete driveway and surrounds, and prior to work commencing the director hired an electrician to disconnect air conditioning units. Following the concrete pour, the business was required to rectify defects in the concrete pour, which required the electrician to attend the site again.
The director of the company did not obtain a licensed electrician to complete the work and instead disconnected the units himself. During that process, he left two sections of supply wiring exposed and improperly terminated with duct tape for approximately a day. He came back to the property at a later date to cover the wiring.
In October, an Electrical Safety Inspector visited the property and found that the circuit breakers of the main switchboard were ‘on’, despite the isolator switches being turned off, presenting a significant risk of death or serious injury if someone had come into contact with the wires.
Magistrate Kay Ryan took into account the need for general deterrence when sentencing and remarked that it was fortunate that no one had died or been seriously injured. She also noted that while the defendant cooperated fully, had the operator hired an electrician, the issues wouldn’t have occurred.
No conviction was recorded. The business was fined $35,000, plus costs, while the business owner was fined $7,500, plus costs.