Kilvington Grammar School Ltd and World Challenge Expeditions Pty Ltd were sentenced in the Melbourne County Court today after earlier pleading guilty to a single charge each of failing to ensure people other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.
The school was fined $140,000 and World Challenge received a $150,000 fine.
Lachlan, who had type 1 diabetes, began showing symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) about two weeks into the trip. Over several days, he vomited many times, was extremely thirsty, and complained of abdominal pain, fast breath, sore ribs and low energy.
The court heard that despite being aware of Lachlan's diabetes, the three supervising adults on the trip - two teachers from Kilvington Grammar and an expedition leader from World Challenge - did not have the knowledge or training to recognise the warning signs as a serious complication.
As his symptoms persisted, the expedition leader contacted the World Challenge operations centre for advice but did not initially disclose Lachlan's diabetes, which delayed a critical response.
The following morning, Lachlan's condition had significantly worsened, with his blood sugar level extremely high, and he was soon nonresponsive. He was taken to a local hospital where he stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest. Though resuscitated, he remained in a coma and was later transferred to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, where he was declared brain dead.
An autopsy confirmed that the cause of Lachlan's death was DKA, which can be treated if identified early, but life-threatening when left too late.
A WorkSafe investigation found Kilvington Grammar had diabetes management and action plans for Lachlan, which provided appropriate guidance on hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar), however they were not taken on the trip. An inquest into Lachlan's death heard that having the plans on hand would have led to an earlier diagnosis of DKA.
The school also failed to assign either of the teachers on the trip as Lachlan's buddy and provide them with additional training or information from the school nurse, in line with a system that was in place for school trips at the time.
The court heard that it was reasonably practicable for Kilvington Grammar to have reduced the risk of illness and death by providing at least one of the teachers on the trip with additional training and instruction for type 1 diabetes; and requiring the teachers to take Lachlan's diabetes management and action plans with them to Vietnam.
WorkSafe's investigation also found World Challenge did not provide any specific advice or additional training to assist with the expedition leader's knowledge of diabetes.
The company required the expedition leader to complete an online medical competency test before the trip, during which she was advised that disclosing pre-existing medical conditions when contacting the World Challenge operations centre was unnecessary.
The court heard that it was reasonably practicable for World Challenge to have reduced the risk of illness and death by providing information, instruction and training to expedition leaders on type 1 diabetes; and instructing and training expedition leaders to disclose pre-existing medical conditions when contacting its operations centre for a medical issue.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said Lachlan's death was a tragedy that need not have happened.
"Working with children - especially children with health conditions - comes with extremely serious responsibilities," Mr Jenkin said.
"Frustratingly, both the school and the trip provider knew Lachlan was diabetic and yet didn't take steps to reduce the risk of illness or death by properly supporting their staff in identifying potentially serious health complications."
