Peter Fusarelli, the sole director of scientific research and development firm Myra Corporate Pty Ltd, has been convicted and fined $195,500 in the District Court of NSW.
Peter Fusarelli has been convicted and fined $195,500 in the District Court of NSW as a result of a prosecution by SafeWork NSW.
The proceedings arose from an incident on 27 February 2022, when a doctor sustained serious injuries after exposure to hydrogen sulphide gas during a series of biogas experiments.
Mr Fusarelli was the sole director of scientific research and development firm Myra Corporate Pty Ltd and was responsible for the day-to-day administration of and health and safety for the business at the time of the incident.
Mr Fusarelli plead guilty to an offence pursuant to section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 for failing to comply with his health and safety duty as an officer of Myra Corporate under section 27(1) of the Act.
The full judgement against Mr Fusarelli is published on the NSW Caselaw website.
Mr Fusarelli has the right to appeal against the sentence.
Workers who have concerns about workplace health and safety can anonymously contact SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50 or through the Speak up Save lives website.
Business owners and workers can access a range of resources to help manage the risks of working with hazardous chemicals.
Quotes attributable to Acting SafeWork Commissioner Petrina Casey:
"Risk control measures for working with hazardous chemicals are well known. Without controls such as proper ventilation when working in confined spaces, chemical exposure can cause serious injury, illness or death."
"Hydrogen sulphide gas is highly toxic, flammable and colourless. Breathing in high levels of hydrogen sulphide gas can cause loss of consciousness after one or two breaths and potential loss of life within minutes."
"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 chemical exposure."
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