A popular winery and gin distiller has been fined $50,000 for an explosion that injured workers and customers.
Buller Wines and its Three Chain Road distillery in Rutherglen, Victoria, picked up the fine in full after a custom gin-making event went haywire in April 2022.
About 11 customers were participating in the experience when a 330-liter copper pot still exploded, WorkSafe said Wednesday, rising and launching a fireball that set the venue’s floor alight.
“Two workers and six customers were injured, one customer was taken to hospital and treated for burns to his face, forearm and neck, while another suffered burns to his leg and another to his lower back,” WorkSafe said. .
“Other injuries included bruising, singed hair, anxiety, headaches, ear pain and ringing in the ears.”
The matter was heard in court and WorkSafe said the court had been told that the explosion occurred because there was not enough water in the still to cover the heating elements, which set fire to the ingredients added by the participants, causing the ignition of ethanol. vapors.
“The on-site assistant winemaker, who had not previously performed small-batch distillation, was running the experience for the first time and had been given separate recipes and run sheets stating different amounts of water and ethanol,” WorkSafe said.
‘The court found it necessary and reasonably practicable for Buller Wines to provide its staff with information about the risk of an ethanol explosion if the still’s heating elements were not submerged.
The explosion occurred at the Three Chain Road gin distillery in Rutherglen.
The Three Chain Road Distillery is located in Rutherglen, about 300 km north of Melbourne.
“Instruction and training was also required on how to prepare the required quantities of ethanol and water in marked containers, verify that the heating elements were completely submerged, and verify and confirm each step before lighting the still.”
Buller Wines was sentenced without conviction at Wodonga Magistrates Court.
The company pleaded guilty to one count of failing to provide information, instruction and training necessary for employees to work safely and one count of failing to ensure that persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks. .
Gerald Judd, senior co-owner of Buller Wines, said the distiller had received a “very fair hearing” from the magistrate.
“She understood the situation and the fine and sentence were discretionary,” he told NewsWire on Wednesday.
“She showed a good understanding of what had happened.
‘I have no criticism of the procedure. They were fair to all parties.
‘But the magistrate has to deal with the law. And she was excellent in her treatment.