Workplace safety charges filed over firefighter death
First Class firefighter Izabella "Izzy" Nash, 46, died in hospital on the night of May 2, 2023, after her colleagues pulled her from a large fire at Slacks Creek, south of Brisbane, about 2am.
Senior firefighter Lia Drew was seriously injured while responding to the same incident.
Queensland Fire Department (QFD) on Thursday confirmed the organisation had been charged with failing to comply with health and safety duty.
"Proceedings have been commenced against the Queensland Fire Department in relation to the events surrounding the Slacks Creek fire and the tragic loss of Izabella "Izzy" Nash and serious injury to Lia Drew," a department spokesperson said.
"QFD prioritises the safety of its personnel with extensive training and a focus on continuous improvement and operational excellence.
"Given the matter is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further."
A spokesperson from Queensland's Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor said the charges would be mentioned on July 11 at Beenleigh Magistrates Court.
"The independent Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor has commenced a case contrary to section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011," the spokesperson said.
"Until the matter is mentioned in open court, no further comment will be made."
Three weeks after the 2023 fire, hundreds of firefighters, friends and emergency service members, along with Queensland's political leaders, gathered in Brisbane's Nissan Arena for a memorial service for Ms Nash.
The ceiling was shaded red with coloured spotlights and a Queensland Fire and Emergency Services flag was draped high above the car park on a fire truck's aerial pump crane.
Ms Nash was "outstanding" as a person and a firefighter, emergency services senior chaplain Derek Whitehouse said during the memorial.
"(We) come together to honour a brave servant of the people of Queensland and to acknowledge an ordinary person who lived an extraordinary life," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Queensland transport minister not ruling out total ban on e-scooters, e-bikes amid growing concern
A total ban on e-scooters and e-bikes is not off the table in Queensland, the state's transport minister has revealed. In an interview with the ABC, Brent Mickelberg acknowledged there was "widespread community concern" over the rules and risks surrounding e-mobility devices. Mr Mickelberg told the ABC he did not believe the existing regulatory framework was meeting community expectations and a total ban on e-mobility devices had not been ruled out. 'I'm prepared to look at any solutions that are going to address safety,' Mr Mickelberg said. A state government inquiry into e-mobility safety and use in Queensland was announced in May, with the final report due in March next year. More than 1,200 submissions have been received by the inquiry, including from the Queensland Fire Department (QFD). Its submission outlined concerns over numerous "fatalities, serious injuries and complete loss of structures," as a result of fires sparked by e-devices. Since 2022, the QFD suspects that four fires that resulted in death were ignited by e-scooters. Lithium-ion batteries have sparked 236 fires between July 2024 and June 2025, according to the QFD, with e-mobility devices the largest single cause of battery-related blazes. Mr Mickelberg said that fire risk concerns also meant police officers were "reluctant" to confiscate e-scooters from riders caught doing the wrong thing. "[Officers are] reluctant, for example, to seize the device off someone who might be doing the wrong thing, even if it is illegal," he said. "[That's] because of the storage and disposal of the batteries associated with these e-mobility devices." However, a Queensland Police Service (QPS) spokesperson said e-mobility devices are regularly seized as evidence and stored in "secure property points and holding yards". Fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries can be extremely destructive, according to forensic fire investigator Belinda Jones. "When it does go wrong, the event is violent – they just go off like a cracker," she said. Lithium-ion battery fires are caused by a chain reaction within the battery's cells, called thermal runaway. The initial spark can be triggered in multiple situations, including dropping the battery, exposing it to heat or water, or using an incorrect charger. Once the chain reaction had begun, Ms Jones said it was incredibly difficult to stop. "If there's more than one battery in the series, the first one will go bang and the next one goes even bigger … bang," Ms Jones said. "That becomes a serious issue with e-bikes where you've got 100 of those cells lined up." The risk of fire is only one concern about e-devices, which are growing in popularity across the state. The number of accidents and injuries was also on the rise, and eight people across the state had lost their lives last year as a result of them, Mr Mickelberg said. Mr Mickelberg said police were not currently "empowered" to enforce the existing rules, and that was one aspect of the regulatory framework the inquiry was also canvassing. For example, he said people aged under 16 should not be riding without being supervised by an adult, but he "hadn't met too many 14-year-old boys" who wanted to ride an e-scooter with their mum or dad. The inquiry will report back next year, and Mr Mickelberg has foreshadowed that more than a "minor tweaking" of rules would be needed to address community concerns around safety, as well as things like fire risk.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
NRL player agents Chris Orr and Nash Dawson face huge fines and bans after altercation
Two leading NRL player agents are facing six and nine-month bans and $25,000 in fines after allegedly being involved in an altercation at a schoolboy rugby league carnival. Chris Orr and Nash Dawson were hit with breach notices by the NRL on Thursday after an investigation into the incident during the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Championships in 2024. Orr, who represents Storm star Jarrome Hughes and Newcastle recruit Dylan Brown, and Dawson, who manages Broncos duo Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam, were cited for breaching the NRL Accredited Player Agent Scheme rules and the Accredited Agents' Code of Conduct. It is also alleged the agents failed to co-operate with the NRL Integrity Unit. In a statement, the NRL declared the agents were 'required to operate with high personal and professional standards' and failed to do so. It's understood the two agents had a physical altercation outside a Port Macquarie pub last year while they were in town for the underage championships. They pair have five business days to respond to the breach notice.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- ABC News
Firefighter suffers 'potentially life-threatening injuries' in truck crash at Mundoolun, south of Brisbane
A firefighter has suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after a fire truck crashed into a tree south of Brisbane. A Queensland Fire Department spokesperson said emergency services were called to the crash on Beaudesert Beenleigh Road at Mundoolun, west of Tamborine Mountain, at about 9:30am. "There was one occupant in the vehicle at the time," they said. "[Fire crews] used spreaders to access the patient who was transported to hospital." The spokesperson could not comment at this stage on the identity of the man injured. The Queensland Ambulance Service said the man was in his 30s and suffered "potentially life-threatening injuries to his lower limbs". He was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital. The Queensland Police Service said the road is expected to be closed for at least the next two hours
