By Kat Wong in Canberra

A government department could be fined up to $1.5 million after a child caught fire during a visit to Canberra science institution.

The nine-year-old was touching a plasma globe when their hands caught alight during a visit to Questacon in July 2022.

The child had used alcohol-based hand sanitiser provided by Questacon, an investigation by national safety authority Comcare found.

When they came into contact with the globe, a spark ignited the hand sanitiser, causing burns to their hands and wrists.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources, which oversees Questacon, has been charged with a criminal offence under the Work Health and Safety Act.

The National Science and Technology Centre could have eliminated risks by removing the plasma globes, limiting their use to trained Questacon workers, warning visitors of the ignition risks or provided non-alcohol-based sanitiser, Comcare found.

The government department will return to the ACT Magistrates Court on September 12.

Questacon is one of Canberra’s biggest attractions, drawing more than 500,000 visitors every year including large groups of children on school excursions.

Its galleries are filled with a variety of science exhibits and experiments, from a slide that emulates the weightlessness of space to an earthquake simulator.

Plasma balls are often used in physics demonstrations and create lightning effects when users enter close proximity.