This year, 22 people died of industrial gas poisoning in Victoria, and the latest tragedy happened to a 20-year-old Chinese man
Dillon Wu, 22, is an apprentice to an oil tank truck producer.
On Oct. 4, 2008, Mr. Wu was unsupervised in an unattended tank in the factory, when toxic argon leaked from a pipeline connected to a welding device to a sealed space, eventually killing him.
He began his work at 09:30 but died before 10:00 and the whole process took less than half an hou
After the accident, the state union stepped in and said Mr. Wu's employers were not equipped with adequate safety measures at the factory, including a lack of ventilation before Mr. Wu started work and no air tests as required.
In the course of his work, Mr. Wu also did not carry a carry-on air alarm equipment. The union said the accident was a sign of the state's urgent need for a death-causing criminal legislation from an industrial accident.
So they launched an petition book calling for the definition of death from industrial accidents as a criminal offence.
Only Queensland and the Australian capital have criminalized industrial accidents.
Queensland Parliament passed the Industrial Health and Safety legislation Amendment Act 2017 on Oct. 26, 2017.
The new law stipulates that employers or senior managers may be criminally liable in the event of the death of their employees in the workplace.
Many other states (including Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia) have not passed a bill criminalizing industrial manslaughte
This means that workplace deaths can usually be resolved only by providing financial compensation to the families of the deceased.
The Union says workplace deaths are always preventable.
"We have these rules and regulations for a reason, and what is happening here is shameful." State Union Secretary Tony Mavromatis said.
We need to hold factory (AIG) and employer Marshall Lethlean accountable.
"We will keep an eye on the results of the investigation."
The Victorian Department of work confirmed that they were investigating the incident, but could not reach a final conclusion on Mr. Wu's case while the investigation was under way.
However, a spokesman for WorkSafe Victoria told the Australian Daily Mail: "So far this year,22 people have died of industrial accidents.
"although this is two times less than last year, no one should die or be injured at work.
"WorkSafe will continue to work with employers, workers and communities to put safety at the top of every Victorian workplace."
Ms. Espinoza-Farfan, 19, a high school classmate of Mr. Wu, spoke on the phone a week before the incident, and Mr. Wu was pleased to be able to take the apprenticeship's opportunity to begin a new life experience.
"I thought it was a joke," she told the Australian Daily Mail.
"it was only when WorkSafe made a statement that I knew it was true."
"it should never happen."
Espinoza-Farfan is now working with Mr. Wu's family to seek justice for Mr. Wu.
In half an hour, a young life dies, if the factory can do the air test well, if the factory can ventilate in advance, if Mr. Wu wears the carry-on equipment, these would have prevented the tragedy from happening.
unfortunately。 There's no "if" in life.
No matter how much regret and apologies cannot make up for the loss of the deceased and their families, I hope that our law will give the victims a just result. It is hoped that such a just outcome will prompt employers to improve their employment environment, at least to ensure basic personal safety at work.