Melbourne's Kilvington Grammar School student Lachlan Cook, 16, was on a class expedition to Vietnam in September 2019 when he suffered complications from his type-1 diabetes.
He began vomiting, complaining of abdominal pain and his blood sugar levels were high, but staff only took him to a local hospital after he became unresponsive.
Lachlan's condition deteriorated further and he was flown to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital where his life support was ultimately switched off in October 2019.
A coroner in 2023 found Lachlan's death was preventable, with WorkSafe issuing charges to both Kilvington and travel company World Challenge Expeditions.
The school and company both pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to a charge of failing to ensure that persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.
Judge Angela Ellis sentenced them on Wednesday after finding the risk of Lachlan dying would have been significantly reduced if different steps were taken.
She noted the World Challenge trip leader did not have training in diabetes management and she did not disclose Lachlan's condition when she first reported his symptoms to the company's on-call operations centre.
That delay and lack of communication prevented Lachlan from receiving the appropriate care, Judge Ellis said.
The two Kilvington teachers on the school trip also did not receive additional training and Lachlan's diabetes management plan was not provided to them, the judge said.
Lachlan Cooks family were not in court on Wednesday but watched remotely on the video link. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)
Lachlan's risk of dying would have been substantially reduced if there had been more training and information sharing, Judge Ellis said.
But she accepted Kilvington and World Challenge had no prior convictions and had shown remorse through their early guilty pleas.
The judge sentenced Kilvington to a $140,000 fine, while World Challenge was fined $150,000 as its breach was more significant.
Both the school and company received a conviction.
Kilvington principal Rob French apologised to Lachlan's family and said the school accepted responsibility for its role in the 16-year-old's "truly devastating" death.
Mr French said Kilvington had since implemented restorative practices, including annual staff training in the management of diabetes.
"We will continue to apply these to ensure the safety of our students and staff, both domestically and internationally," he said.
World Challenge director Peter Fletcher also apologised to the family and said his company was constantly reviewing its safety policies and procedures.
"We will continue to work with our partners, schools, and with families to make these trips as safe and inclusive as they can possibly be," he told reporters outside court.
WorkSafe executive health and safety director Sam Jenkin welcomed the sentences, saying the staff should have been better trained to identify Lachlan's serious symptoms.
Lachlan's family were not in court on Wednesday although they watched remotely on the video link.
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