The author purchased auto fuses at a discount store to replace a similarly rated fuse which had failed.   The author acknowledges he failed to check for a reliable local company on the packaging of the product to endorse and be responsible for the quality of the product.   The author also failed to ensure that the discount store retailer was appropriately identified on the receipt.    Trading name on receipt was not registered with ASIC.

The upshot was a car with burnt-out electricals and a fuse which showed clear evidence of over-heating of the plastic without the active metal fuse element actually failing.   The author has notified  Consumer Affairs Victoria about the faulty product with details of the brand.

Potentially there are many people, possibly thousands of people out there who have installed such fuses in their cars.   It is highly likely that when there is a need for the protection these fuses will fail.   The cynic may think that for auto-electricians, this provides them with more business as cars are either repaired at great expense as auto-electrician businesses are well paid and the repairs can take a whole day or longer to complete.    It can cost thousands of dollars.  Otherwise cars go to the wreckers for recycling.    Potentially however there could be car fires which may put people’s lives at risk.

Consumer Affairs Victoria made it clear in a letter sent on the 14th of April 2015 that they were not prepared to look into this matter .  As a public interest exercise I am prepared to name the product.   I have elected not to go to VCAT to claim compensation for the damage because of the protracted time in being able to identify who is responsible for offering that product for sale, the lack of an obvious Australian importer of the fuses, the costs involved in preparing expert evidence to present, and the fact that the vehicle had a much greater use value than monetary value.

The offending product is under the brand name “Legion Tools”  Item No. T608-H with the label “10 PIECE AUTO PLUG-IN FUSES”  This product is labelled “MADE IN CHINA”.

Hopefully no-one else has this problem, but if any others who have a similar problem make a complaint to Consumer Affairs Victoria, it is possible that C.A.V. will take it more seriously.

For those of you who need to buy fuses for your car my advice would be to steer clear of the Legion Tools brand.

Note:  Envirosaphe is said as envirosafe.

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Increasingly small businesses cases focus on establishing a basic OH&S management system, documenting decision making processes and responsibilities and establishing checklists to be completed and registers to be maintained covering risks, management plans, certification and training of employees, management and contractors.

Worksafe Victoria has undertaken a tender process for ongoing consultancy services. EnvirosapHe no longer is involved with the Program.   We believe it was a great initiative.  We wish Worksafe Victoria well in providing assistance to small and medium sized businesses.

Note:  Envirosaphe is said as envirosafe.

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“Simon Coster, 48, entered the tank to clean it with ammonia and was overwhelmed by toxic fumes.   His son Tim then entered the tank to save him and was also overcome.   A worker and Mr. Coster’s other son Ash then entered in a rescue attempt before themselves becoming overwhelmed by the fumes. “

It seems fermented corn starch syrup  which was in the tank caused a chemical reaction which generated toxic fumes.  The tank fumes probably included carbon dioxide which is denser than air, odourless and invisible, and would have dropped the oxygen concentrations to below levels at which people remain conscious.  Applying ammonia itself within a confined space could also constitute a significant risk of being overcome with fumes, depending upon the quantities being used.

This highlights the problems of working in a confined space.   This demonstrates the need for people on farms, which are workplaces, to apply the regulations which apply to Confined Spaces in managing the risks with tanks and silos.

Worksafe Victoria has a Compliance Code for Confined Spaces which if applied would have prevented this accident. This Code outlines a number of risk assessment and risk management actions to eliminate the risks. This accident could have resulted in four or more deaths as those attempting to rescue people affected also became affected within the confined space.

Worksafe Victoria Compliance Code Link

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/9230/cc_confinedspaces_web.pdf

Worksafe Victoria advice on Confined Spaces.

http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/health-and-safety-topics/confined-spaces

ASAFE OH&S Workplace Health & Safety Training Confined Space Entry course.

http://www.asafeohs.com.au/public_courses.html

Pinnacle Safety and Training for Confined Space Entry 1 day training course.

http://www.pinnaclesafety.com.au/courses/confined-space/confined-space-worker/melbourne?gclid=CL-m7c6TlbsCFUkdpQodkGsAEQ

The post Father, Sons and Worker Knocked Out by Tank Fumes “Herald Sun” November 28 2013 appeared first on envirosapHe.

It is understood that this is the first case of someone dying in Australia from exposure to legionella through the warm water system. It is also understood that in Queensland there has been no requirement for warm water system routine testing or for risk control management measures to be in place at the hospital in Brisbane. Each Australian state and territory has their own response to this potential or now in Queensland actual public health problem.

It is thought that the hospital was running the water heating at too low a temperature to effectively kill off legionella as an energy saving measure.

Subsequent testing of warm water systems in hospitals in Queensland have generated positives to legionella at a number of different hospital sites.    Routine testing will now implemented in hospital warm water systems in Queensland.

In Victoria there has been a requirement for risk management including monitoring of legionella in potable water system.

At the URL http://www.health.vic.gov.au/legionella/waterdelivery.htm

“On 1 January 2010 the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 (the regulations) commenced. Regulation 62 requires that the responsible person must take reasonable steps to manage the risks of Legionella in water delivery systems in certain premises.

The ‘certain premises’ which the regulations apply to are:

Aged care
Health services
Health service establishments
Registered funded agencies
Correctional services
Commercial vehicle washes

The responsible person is any person who owns, manages, or controls the water delivery system.”

Warm water systems

Legionella has been detected in warm water systems associated with showers both in hospitals and in aged care facilities in Victoria. However, much of the evidence linking Legionella in warm water systems to cases or outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease is from overseas. In Victoria we have seen persuasive evidence that a small number of sporadic cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been linked to warm water systems in health care and aged care facilities.. The only outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease associated with a warm water system was related to a water delivery system that stored warm water in a Victorian car wash facility.

The Department of Health recommends that the premises listed above should prepare a Legionella risk management plan for their warm water systems. More information relating to warm water systems is available by contacting the Legionella Team on 1800 248 898 or by emailing Legionella@health.vic.gov.au

Car washes

Because a car wash facility was linked to 7 cases of Legionnaires’ disease in 2008, these car wash facilities have been included in the list of certain premises that must control the risk of Legionella.

What are the risks for a car wash facility?

Legionella is a ubiquitous organism in the environment and can be found in very low concentrations in the potable water supply. The Legionella bacteria are able to multiply when they find a suitable environment. Risk factors for Legionella growth in car washes are:

Warm water stored at temperatures between 30°C and 60°C
Rubber hosing
Absence of a biocide
People may contract Legionnaires’ disease if they are exposed to small droplets containing the bacteria, like those produced by high pressure hoses.

The department recommends that all car wash facilities assess the risks associated with there systems and prepare a Legionella risk management plan.

To manage the risks associated with Legionella, the following should be considered:

Not using warm water at temperatures between 30°C and 60°C
Replacing warm water storage with instantaneous units
Replacing rubber hosing with poly tubing, metal tubing or clean copper tubing
Regularly disinfecting the system with a chlorine based disinfectant.”

In practice this has meant hospitals for example have routinely testing warm water systems for legionella and have ensured where wards have been out of service for some time that the plumbing system is flushed prior to use as part of recommissioning the ward.

(MB 5th July 2013)

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