Questacon fined $140,000 after girl's hands caught fire at plasma globe
A girl's hands caught fire at Questacon when a spark from a plasma globe ignited her hand sanitiser.
In July 2022, a girl touched a plasma globe at Questacon in Canberra after using hand sanitiser. A spark from the globe lit the alcohol on her hands, causing serious burns.
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources was charged with breaching work health and safety laws. Questacon had known about the fire risk: a staff member noticed in February 2022 that hand sanitiser and the metal globe could cause sparks.
A visitor had also been shocked by the globe that same month. The commonwealth pleaded guilty and got a 20 per cent discount, lowering the fine to $140,000 from $175,000.
- $140,000
- Fine amount
- 9 years old
- Child's age
- July 2022
- Incident date
- February 2022
- Prior warning
Why it mattersThe case shows institutions face serious legal costs when they fail to act on known safety hazards, even after warning signs appear.
AustraliaOther Australian museums and science centres may review similar exhibits to ensure visitor safety protocols are robust and risks are managed before injury occurs.
Corroborated bycanberratimes.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 4 h ago
