Restaurant owners fined for operating unsafe gas appliances, putting patrons at risk
The owners of a popular Korean restaurant was fined $12,000 this morning in the Darwin Local Court for operating unsafe gas appliances and putting their patrons health and safety at risk.
Family partnership C.J LEE & D.J LEE, which operated the now closed Little Miss Korea restaurant, entered an early guilty plea to a consolidated charge under Section 32 of the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 for failing its primary duty of care under Sections 19(2), 19(3)(b) and 19(3)(d) of the Act.
In September 2022, NT WorkSafe commenced an investigation after five patrons dining at Little Miss Korea were burnt from a flash fire. At the time of the incident, the patrons were cooking their food using a charcoal barbeque grill unit (BBQ grill) when the flash fire occurred.
NT WorkSafe’s investigation found the BBQ grill was equipped with a gas burner fuelled by a butane gas cartridge used for igniting the charcoal. The investigation found the design of the BBQ grill exposed the butane gas cartridge to radiant heat from the heated charcoal due to the close proximity of the gas cartridge compartment and charcoal basin. This created a risk to health and safety if the butane gas cartridge over pressurised, leading to an explosion or fire.
The investigation found on the night of the incident, the gas burner was not used as the charcoal was ignited in the kitchen and brought to the table and placed in the BBQ grill. Despite this, the butane gas cartridge was left in the cartridge compartment in the BBQ grill.
The Northern Territory’s Work Health and Safety Regulator, Ms Peggy Cheong said this incident is a timely reminder of the importance of gas safety and businesses should check that their gas appliances either comply with the Australian Standards, or have been approved by the Australian Gas Association, or the Australian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association or NT WorkSafe.
“Gas appliances that do not comply with the Australian Standards, and have not been approved by either of the three agencies name should not be used,” Ms Cheong said.
“Butane gas cartridges are also classed as hazardous and a dangerous good, with employers and workers needing to familiarise and follow the manufacturer’s safety information to ensure the cartridges safe use.”
“The risk of butane gas cartridges exploding should not be dismissed as a remote possibility,” Ms Cheong said.
“Four months ago a kitchen worker in Palmerston was injured when a butane gas cartridge exploded.”
“NT WorkSafe’s preliminary finds into that incident indicated the butane gas cartridge was stored in a compartment of a commercial oven and exploded possibly due to radiant heat from the appliance.”
Related documents
- Restaurant patrons injured in gas related incident [Safety alert]
- Charges laid over CBD restaurant gas incident [Media release]
- Butane canister explosion injures kitchen staff [Incident information release]