On Tuesday, Alcoa of Australia Limited was fined $400,000 and ordered to pay costs of $5536.70 after workers received burns from an uncontrolled release of caustic solution at the company’s Kwinana alumina refinery.
The group of people affected by the September 2022 incident included school students on a work experience placement at the site.
Alcoa pleaded guilty in the Rockingham Magistrate’s Court for failing to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA).
On the day of the incident, a contract worker noticed a burning smell and found a pump that was emitting smoke and debris. The contract worker notified his shift supervisor who attended the scene with other workers.
The shift supervisor checked with the refinery’s control room to see if they could bring another pump online to replace the damaged pump. A control room operator advised the supervisor they would need to change the pump within a short time frame due to potential production consequences.
The shift supervisor was aware the pump could explode if pressure built up.
Having opened a discharge drain valve, the shift supervisor left the valve to advise the work experience group to leave the area. As he did so, another worker engaged in the pump changeover pressed its start button unaware the discharge drain valve was still open.
This action caused an uncontrolled discharge of hot caustic solution from the discharge drainpipe.
The caustic solution contacted a metal step in the open spoon drain which caused the liquid to spray out and contact some of the workers and students.
Emergency response officers attended the scene and provided first aid to those affected by the spill before transferring them to the site’s medical centre.
WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said the workers and students were extremely lucky not to have sustained more serious injuries.
“Companies must ensure all people at a workplace, including work experience students, are kept safe,” Ms North said.
“Companies must also have robust controls in place and ensure these controls are monitored so they continue to be effective.”
