Tank in fatal winery blast 'not labelled'

Storage of flammable liquid at a NSW winery where two men died in an explosion lacked basic safety rules and warning signs, a former worker has told an inquest.

Colin Locock, who was a forklift driver at the Drayton family-owned winery, said he was not informed about the danger of the material and not given safety instructions.

Boilermaker Edgar Orgo, 59, and winery owner Trevor Drayton, 52, died in the explosion on January 17, 2008, and a third man survived with serious burns.

Advertisement: Story continues below The liquid spiritus vini rectificatus, also known as SVR, or distilled spirits of wine, was stored in tanks at Drayton's Family Wines in the Hunter Valley.

The inquest, at Glebe Coroners Court in Sydney, heard on Monday that Mr Orgo had been welding a metal plate to tank 104 shortly before the explosion.

Mr Locock said he did not see any warning signs around tank 104, which had contained 9000 litres of SVR in the weeks before the explosion.

"Don't recall seeing SVR signs," he said.

Under questioning from barrister Kristina Stern, assisting deputy coroner Hugh Dillon, Mr Locock said he was unaware that ethanol vapour was flammable.

He also said he had not been instructed in safety procedures for handling the liquid, which is almost pure ethanol.

Asked if he knew that SVR was stored around the winery, Mr Locock replied, "No."

"Were you given instructions whether the machinery could be operated around tanks containing SVR?" Ms Stern asked.

"No," Mr Locock replied.

Rural Fire Service Superintendent Paul Jones, a structural fire investigator, said it was likely the fire started in the tank rather than around it.

"I would have to say it was tank 104, by the damage to the tank itself," he said.

"I can't determine whether the explosion happened, or the fire happened first."

But under questioning, he agreed with the proposition that welding on the metal container had caused the fire.

Police Detective Senior Constable Peter Muscio said the explosion happened before the fire started, in his opinion.

He agreed heat from an area around Mr Orgo had ignited the fire and rejected suggestions a leak had caused the blaze.

Assistant winemaker William Rikard-Bell was injured in the accident, with burns to 80 per cent of his body. He survived after diving into a nearby dam at the property in Pokolbin.

Members of the Drayton family were present at the Glebe Coroners Court for the inquest on Monday.

The hearing resumes on Tuesday.