Aero club fined for burns

Monday 30 May 2005

Serious burns suffered by a Canterbury Aero Club aircraft maintenance engineer could have been avoided if his employer had trained him in the correct methods of refuelling aircraft.
The Christchurch engineer sustained burns to 40 percent of his body, after vapour inside an aircraft fuel tank he was refilling exploded in June last year.

The Department of Labour investigated and found that the aero club's engineers routinely employed unsafe refuelling methods.

Canterbury Aero Club was today fined $15,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $25,000 to the injured man, after pleading guilty to a charge of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure its employee was not exposed to hazards at work. The club had earlier paid the victim $10,000.
The Department's Canterbury health and safety manager, Margaret Radford, said while the aero club had a documented health and safety system in place that identified the draining, handling and refuelling of aircraft as a significant hazard, its employees weren't aware of it.
Nor had they been trained in safe draining and refuelling procedures.

Ms Radford said having a health and safety system in place was only a start.

"A health and safety plan is of use only when people are aware of it, and understand it. It's not acceptable for employers to say 'we have a plan in place, therefore we've met all our duties under the Health and Safety in Employment Act'."