AGL cops fine for Torrens Island workers exposure
An energy provider has been fined tens of thousands of dollars over safety concerns for workers.
AGL has been fined $60,000 after workers were exposed to lead during decommissioning works at its Torrens Island A Power Station.
The company pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the South Australian Employment Court on August 7, 2026, following a SafeWork SA prosecution.
A statement from SafeWorkSA said the exposures happened when large quantities of paper-insulated lead-covered (PILC) cables were required to be de-energised, cut and removed, a state government statement reads.
The cable removal process involved cutting the cables into one-metre lengths and placing them into drums for disposal. The work generated dust and debris, including lead dust, its statement said.
It also said that respiratory protection to prevent inhalation of lead dust was not provided.
In his sentencing remarks, Deputy President Judge Crawley of the South Australian Employment Court said he had difficulty understanding how the defendant failed to recognise the risk created by the task.
“Removing and cutting up large quantities of paper insulated lead covered cables should have been an obvious source of the risk of lead exposure needing to be addressed,” he said.
“Risk assessment protocols are only as effective as the way in which they are implemented.”
The company was also ordered to pay SafeWork SA’s costs of $2604.
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An AGL spokesperson said: “Health and safety is a core value of AGL and is an integral part of the way we work”.
“AGL cooperated fully with SafeWork SA throughout the process and, in December 2025, entered a plea of guilty to a single charge of failing to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers,” the spokesperson said.
“While we acknowledge that on this occasion AGL fell short of our own standards, the health and safety of our people, both employees and contractors, remains our highest priority.
“In response to the event, AGL has taken actions to ensure the event does not happen again. This includes updating written procedures to include a new Working with Lead Procedure, issuing new Hazard Identification Risk Assessment Controls relating to hazards associated with working with and around lead-containing equipment, and educating employees and contractors.”
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