News

Australia | Company fined $90,000 after workers exposed to risk due to gas leak

Antonia Maddocks

1 min read

yellow chlorine gas canisters in a room

SafeWork NSW | Ben Furney Flour Mills Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $90,000 in the Industrial Court of NSW as a result of a prosecution by SafeWork NSW.

The proceedings arose from an incident on 23 February 2023, when workers were exposed to chlorine gas while carrying out work for the company.

Ben Furney Flour Mills plead guilty to an offence pursuant to section 33 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 for failing to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers as required under section 19(1) of the Act.

SafeWork Commissioner Petrina Casey said: “Risk control measures when working with potential hazardous substances are well known.”

“SafeWork NSW reminds all businesses of their duty to ensure their workplaces are safe for employees and contractors.

“Having an awareness and assessment of the risks, along with implementation of safe systems of work, is key to reducing the number of incidents related to chemical exposure.”

– Accurate at time of publication | July 2026

Sign-up to the Barbour Monthly Newsletter

Get the latest Health, Safety and Environmental news and information – sign up for updates from Barbour EHS. 

What you’ll get:

  • Free downloads including Directors’ Briefings, legislation updates, webinars, risk assessments and more
  • VIP invites to events
  • Important industry news and updates
  • Invitations to hot topic webinars hosted by Barbour
  • Industry partner information

You may also be interested in