Diamant Hotel contractor 'had no experience'

The contractor who organised the construction of exhaust ducts in Canberra's Flint restaurant, where a fire started in 2011, has told a coronial hearing he had no experience in installing commercial kitchens.

The ACT Coroners Court is considering what may have caused the fire which destroyed part of the Diamant Hotel in Canberra's CBD.

The court has heard the blaze began when a build-up of grime inside the ducts caught fire, despite a clean a few days earlier.

The court has heard the blaze began when a build-up of grime inside the ducts caught fire.

Today a contractor who fitted the air conditioning ducts in the building has told the court he was asked by the developers if he would help with the exhaust ducts in the kitchens.

He told the court at first he was only to supply labour, but eventually ended up organising the whole job.

The man says if he had his time again he would not have done the work.

But he said he wanted to help a friend who was in a bind.

The man says he contracted the construction to a local sheet metal company, and was surprised to learn access points on the drawings were not on the finished project.

The man also told the court he was unaware of Australian standards applying to kitchen exhaust duct construction.

The coronial inquest will continue tomorrow.

Source: ABC News, 8 November 2012