A jumping castle operator in Tasmania is being charged with violating workplace safety laws after a tragic incident claimed the lives of six primary school students. The children, Chace Harrison, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Zane Mellor, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan, and Peter Dodt, were enjoying an end-of-year celebration with their classmates on the school’s oval when a jumping castle was lifted into the air on December 16, 2021. The workplace safety regulator in Tasmania announced on November 17 that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had filed a complaint in the Devonport Magistrates Court against Taz-Zorb, the operator of the jumping castle, under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012.
The charges involve a category two offence which alleges that Taz-Zorb failed to comply with health and safety regulations in a way that exposed the children to a risk of death or serious injury. If found guilty, corporations can face a maximum penalty of $1.5 million (US$1 million) for category two offences. In addition to the fatal casualties, three children were also seriously injured in the incident. The state’s workplace safety regulator stated that the decision to press charges followed a significant and lengthy investigation.
WorkSafe Tasmania head Robyn Pearce mentioned that she had met with the affected families throughout the year, and preparations for an inquest on the incident were put on hold earlier in the year as potential charges were considered. While more than $1.4 million (US$0.9 million) was raised for the families affected, the community heartbreaking, and poignant tributes were left outside the school in the days following the incident.
The memory of the children lost in the tragic incident continue to strongly resonate within the Devonport community, prompting a gathering last December to mark the one-year anniversary. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff acknowledged the profound impact on the community, and urged for the children, their families, and their loved ones to be held in the thoughts and hearts of all.