Shell fined for safety breaches
By Chris Spindler
GEELONG — The Shell oil company has been fined a total of $225,000 for six breaches of Victoria's health and safety laws in 1998 at its plant near here.
The inadequacy of the fines is clearer when the size of each fine is placed beside each safety breach: $70,000 for failing to provide a safe working environment; $20,000 for failing to ensure unobstructed access to fire fighting equipment; $25,000 for failing to ensure the safe storage of dangerous goods; and $20,000 for failing to prevent danger to the public involving accidents with dangerous goods.
The prosecution commented that there are few more dangerous situations than that created by a fire system being allowed to deteriorate at an oil refinery. At any one time, there are 400 employees and 100 contractors on site and Geelong is little more than two kilometres away.
Shell accepted the judgement and said it was "disappointed with our own performance". This was met with a cynical reaction from union activists who have witnessed the slow deterioration of maintenance on the site.