General manager charged over fatal factory fire
14 Oct 2025•BlueSafe Team•Source: WorkSafe VIC
A 36-year-old Altona Meadows man faces two charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act following a fatal explosion and fire at a factory.
The charges, brought under section 144 of the Act, allege the man failed to take reasonable care as an officer of ACB Group Pty Ltd.
WorkSafe alleges two contraventions for which the company had already been charged were attributable to the general manager. It alleges he knew or ought to have known about risks associated with static electricity discharges.
The alleged failures involved not implementing a safe system of work and not ensuring workers received the necessary information, instruction and training.
A 44-year-old man died after an explosion and fire occurred while flammable liquids were being blended inside the factory where he was working.
The general manager’s matter is listed for a filing hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 22 October 2025. ACB Group is next due at the same court for a committal mention on 6 February 2026.
WorkSafe is continuing its investigation into a chemical explosion and fire at the same factory in July 2024.
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