Minister warned of more deaths: Inquest

THE Federal Government was warned within a week of the first insulation-related death that there would be more fatalities, an inquest has heard.

Master Electricians Association chief executive Malcolm Richards said he met with Federal Minister Peter Garrett and his chief-of-staff on October 20, 2009, after the death of Matthew James Fuller, 25, in a Brisbane home, and warned them there would be more deaths if foil insulation rebates were not cancelled.

"I remember saying if you don't remove the rebate from foil-based products there will be more deaths in this program," Mr Richards told Brisbane Coroners Court.

He said the Minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to safety under the Home Insulation Program, but he was "non-committal about doing anything about it".

"He said he would put an industry group together," Mr Richards said.

Mr Richards was speaking at an inquest this week into the electrocution deaths of Mr Fuller, Rueben Barnes, 16, who died on November 18, 2009, and Mitchell Sweeney, 22, who died on February 4, 2010.

Mr Fuller and Mr Sweeney had been laying foil insulation using metal staplers and Mr Barnes had been installing fibreglass batts in a "live" ceiling cavity.

Mr Richards said from late September 2009, 20 electricians told of concerns about finding foil insulation and metal staples "everywhere" in ceiling cavities and of staples hitting cables, tripping safety switches.

"We were horrified to see that practice in the first place," he said.

Mr Richards said he immediately wrote to Peter Garrett asking for an urgent meeting, but before the letter could be sent Mr Fuller was killed.

Mr Richards said he later told an October 27 industry group meeting attended by 30 people that foil insulation products fixed with metal staplers should be outlawed completely.

"I believe I raised that issue very strongly at a meeting where insulation organisations were present trying to defend the use of metal insulation," he said.

Mr Sweeney was electrocuted eight days later.

Chief executive of National Electrical and Communications Association, James Tinslay, told the inquest the HIP was rolled out at "breakneck speed" by highly stressed public servants who did not have a grip on it.

The inquest has been adjourned until May 7.

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