Megavolt Australia fined for worker nitrogen exposure

Megavolt Australia Pty Ltd has been fined by the Industrial Court of NSW after pleading guilty to failing to comply with workplace health and safety duties. The legal action follows an incident in 2023 at the Wellington North Solar Farm Project in Wuuluman, where trade assistant Hayden McIntosh was exposed to nitrogen while working on a transformer.

During the incident, Megavolt staff investigated a potential leak in a transformer tank. To manage pressure and prevent moisture, nine cylinders of nitrogen were introduced into the system. The court noted that the risks associated with using such hazardous chemicals were “plain” and “should have been readily identified” by the company.

Megavolt, which is now defunct, was acting as a subcontractor for Siemens Energy, which in turn was contracted by the principal contractor Gransolar.