By Christine Kellett
Three Queensland insulation companies whose staff were electrocuted while carrying out work under the federal government's environmental rebate scheme may face workplace charges.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is investigating all three firms, which have been struck off the Commonwealth Department of Environment's approved installers list.
Rueben Barnes, 16, Mitchell Sweeney, 22, and a Brisbane man in his 30s were killed in separate accidents between October 15 and February 5 this year.
All had been fitting foil insulation to homes under the government's national rebate program.
A spokesman from the Department of Justice and Attorney-General today confirmed reports on all three deaths had been passed to the State Coroner, while separate probes by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland were ongoing.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has the power to lay charges and prosecute individuals and companies.
In a recent example, charges were laid against construction powerhouse Theiss in December over the death of 25-year-old roadworker Tom Takarua, who was crushed during the construction of Brisbane's Eastern Busway last year.
The workplace watchdog has refused to comment on the progress of the investigations or which, if any, charges it may consider in the insulation deaths.
It has also refused to name the companies involved.
However, preliminary findings published on its website say that in the deaths of Mr Sweeney and the Brisbane man, "it appears that a staple, used to fix foil insulation in the roof space of a home may have pierced an electric cable which energised the foil," electrocuting them.
In the case of Ruben Barnes, it refers to an apparent electrical fault in the ceiling cavity.
"Initial findings suggest that a fault in the electrical installation in the ceiling cavity is the likely cause of the fatality," it says.
nitial findings suggest that a fault in the electrical installation in the ceiling cavity is the likely cause of the fatality.
"A cable supplying the stove circuit was damaged by a ceiling fixing screw causing the supporting metal ceiling batten to become energised at approximately 240 volts."
The charge killed the Rockhampton 16-year-old on November 18 last year, despite desperate attempts by two of his workmates to resuscitate him.
Mr Sweeney, the most recent victim, was pulled unconscious from a man hole while stapling foil to the ceiling of a dairy property at Millaa Millaa, near Cairns, one week ago.
The triple tragedies and the damning findings of an interim audit into the $2.45 billion program have put intense pressure on Environment Minister Peter Garrett to resign.
The former Midnight Oil singer immediately suspended the use of foil on Tuesday after the assessment of 700 homes fitted with foil found 21 had electrical safety problems as a result, while 15 were live.
Of the 48,000 foil insulation installations completed across Australia under the scheme, almost 42,000 are in Queensland.
The Minister has blamed "shonky" installers for failing in their duty of care to employees to follow strict safety guidelines set by the government.
Opposition leader Tony Abbott said if the Minister were a company director in New South Wales, he could face industrial manslaughter charges.
Asked yesterday if he felt guilty about the insulation deaths, Mr Garrett was resolute.
"Absolutely not. Concern and understanding of what this means to people, of course," Mr Garrett told Fairfax Radio.
"Everybody knows that ceiling insulation and being in a cavity in a roof or something like that is a dangerous activity."
Brisbane insulation manufacturer and installer Geoff Aldridge was one of several industry figures to consult with the Minister's department before the scheme was announced in February last year.
He told brisbanetimes.com.au yesterday concerns had been raised about the safety of foil products more than a year ago, but the government had wanted to be fair to all sections of the industry.
"The government has tried to please too many people with this," he said
"They wouldn't allow it under the New Zealand [rebate] scheme for the very same reasons.
"Hindsight is a wonderful thing."