Gin distillery fined after 330litre copper still exploded in huge fireball during boutique gin-making event

A popular winery and gin distiller has been fined $50,000 for an explosion that injured employees and customers.

Buller Wines and its Three Chain Road distillery in Rutherglen, Victoria, were hit with the fine in total after a personalized gin-making event went haywire in April 2022.

About 11 customers took part in the experience when a 330-litre copper pot still exploded, WorkSafe said on Wednesday, lifting and sending out a fireball that set the venue’s floor on fire.

“Two employees and six customers were injured, with one customer taken to hospital and treated for burns to his face, forearm and neck, while another suffered burns to her leg and another burns to her lower back,” WorkSafe said.

“Other injuries included bruising, singed hair, anxiety, headaches, earaches and tinnitus.”

The case was heard in court and WorkSafe said the court was told that the explosion occurred because not enough water had been placed in the kettle to cover the heating elements, causing the ingredients added by the participants to ignite, which led to the ignition of ethanol. fumes.

“The site’s assistant winemaker, who had not previously performed small-batch distillation, was conducting the experience for the first time and had been provided with separate recipes and run sheets detailing the different water and ethanol quantities,” WorkSafe said.

‘The court found that it was necessary and reasonably practicable for Buller Wines to provide staff with information about the risk of an ethanol explosion if the boiler heating elements were not flooded.

The Three Chain Road Distillery is located in Rutherglen, approximately 300 km north of Melbourne

“Instruction and training on how to prepare the required amounts of ethanol and water in marked containers, checking that the heating elements are fully submerged, and having each step checked and confirmed before turning on the distillation was also required.”

Buller Wines was convicted without conviction at the Wodonga Magistrates Court.

The company pleaded guilty to one count of failing to provide employees with the necessary information, instruction and training to enable them to work safely and to one count of failing to ensure that persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety hazards. safety risks.

Gerald Judd, senior co-owner of Buller Wines, said the distiller had received a “very fair hearing” from the magistrate.

“She understood the situation and the fine and sentencing were discretionary,” he told NewsWire on Wednesday.

“She showed a good understanding of what was going on.

‘I have no criticism of the procedure. They were fair to all parties.

‘But the magistrate has to deal with the law. And she was excellent in dealing with it.”