Questacon fined after child's hands catch fire in July 2022 exhibit incident

Consensus Summary

A nine-year-old child suffered severe burns to their hands in July 2022 after touching a plasma globe exhibit at Canberra’s Questacon, igniting alcohol-based hand sanitiser they had used. The incident, which left the child with second-degree burns, occurred during a visit to the National Science and Technology Centre, a popular destination for school excursions and families. Both ABC and 7NEWS report that the child’s hands, fingers, and wrists were affected, with the burns causing lasting pain and difficulty performing daily tasks. The Commonwealth was later fined $140,000 by an ACT court for failing to comply with workplace health and safety laws, with the maximum penalty for the offence set at $1.5 million.

The incident was not isolated, as both sources confirm there had been six safety-related incidents involving the plasma globes in the five months leading up to July 2022. In February 2022, a staff member observed that the combination of hand sanitiser and metal could produce sparks from the globe, and another visitor received a shock to their hand that same month. Despite these warnings, Questacon’s response was deemed inadequate by Comcare, the regulator responsible for the investigation. The plasma globe exhibit, which was interactive and designed to engage young visitors, had been identified as a fire risk as early as February 2022, yet no immediate action was taken to mitigate the danger.

Key figures in the case included the child’s mother, who provided a victim impact statement describing the trauma of seeing her daughter ‘on fire and screaming,’ a memory she would carry for the rest of her life, according to ABC. Magistrate Ian Temby, who presided over the case, acknowledged the Commonwealth’s remorse and lack of prior safety violations but emphasised that the risk of fire was both foreseeable and foreseen. Comcare’s chief executive, Colin Radford, stated that Questacon’s response to the incidents was inadequate, highlighting the need for a ‘proactive approach and constant vigilance’ in managing workplace health and safety risks at the facility. The Department of Industry, Science and Resources, which oversees Questacon, issued an apology to the victim and her family and confirmed that the exhibit had been immediately closed and removed following the incident.

While both sources agree on the core facts of the incident and the fine imposed, there are differences in emphasis and detail. ABC notes that the fine was reduced from $175,000 to $140,000 due to a 20 per cent discount for the guilty plea, a detail not mentioned by 7NEWS. Additionally, 7NEWS specifies that the fine was announced in August, though the incident itself occurred in July 2022, while ABC does not clarify the timing of the fine’s announcement. Both outlets also differ slightly in their descriptions of the child’s struggles post-incident, with 7NEWS highlighting that she was from Darwin and had difficulty sleeping, brushing her hair, and writing due to pain, whereas ABC focuses more on the emotional impact of the event on the child’s mother.

The aftermath of the incident has seen Questacon undertake reviews of its safety protocols, though neither source provides specific details about the long-term changes implemented. The Commonwealth’s guilty plea and the fine serve as a reminder of the importance of rigorous safety measures in interactive public spaces, particularly those frequented by children. While the case has been resolved legally, the emotional and physical scars for the victim and her family remain, underscoring the need for constant vigilance in preventing such incidents in the future.