Chemical company faces charges over fatal factory fire
04 Oct 2025•BlueSafe Team•Source: WorkSafe VIC
ACB Group Pty Ltd faces three charges following an explosion and fire that fatally injured a 44-year-old man while flammable liquids were being blended at a factory.
The man was working inside the factory when the explosion and fire occurred. The company faces three charges under section 21(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to provide or maintain a safe working environment.
WorkSafe alleges ACB Group breached section 21(2)(a) by failing to provide a safe system of work requiring bonding and earthing controls before flammable liquids were transferred into a blending vessel.
The company also faces two alleged breaches of section 21(2)(e). One concerns a failure to train workers about the need for bonding and earthing controls and the maintenance or replacement of equipment used to blend and transfer flammable liquids.
The other alleged breach concerns a failure to supervise workers to ensure they used bonding and earthing controls.
A filing hearing is scheduled at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 3 October 2025.
WorkSafe is continuing its investigation into a chemical explosion and fire at the same factory in July 2024.
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