An international oil company has been charged by Victoria's workplace safety watchdog following the death of a man who was crushed in a Melbourne car wash.
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WorkSafe Victoria said two years ago a Mulgrave man drove into an automatic car wash in Springvale, before getting out of his car to re-enter an access code.
When he tried to get back into his car he was crushed as the wash cycle started, with his car door becoming stuck by a gantry, WorkSafe said.
The 73-year-old man died from his injuries in hospital three days later, in November 2019.
Chevron Australia Downstream Fuels Pty Ltd, which operates the car wash, has been charged by WorkSafe over four breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
While extending its condolences to the family of the man who was killed, Chevron disputes it was operator of the car wash at the time.
"Safety is Chevron's top priority, and although the incident occurred before Chevron took up retail operations in Australia, Chevron has been and will continue to co-operate fully with any investigations into the incident," a spokesman told AAP in a statement.
Nonetheless, WorkSafe claims the oil giant failed to ensure the workplace was safe and without risks to health.
It is alleged that Chevron did not erect signs to instruct drivers not to leave their vehicles while the car wash was operating.
The company allegedly failed to fit anti-collision bars or other controls to detect impending contact between the car wash's moving parts and obstacles present in the wash bay.
Further, it's alleged Chevron did not remove protruding brackets from inside the gantry legs or install boom gates that would only allow entry to the wash bay after a valid access code was entered.
The matter will be heard in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Australian Associated Press