SafeWork NSW v Williams Timber Pty Ltd [2020] NSWDC 777

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v Williams Timber Pty Ltd [2020] NSWDC 777 Hearing dates: 9 December 2020 Date of orders: 18 December 2020 Decision date: 18 December 2020 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Strathdee DCJ Decision: (1) The defendant is convicted. (2) The appropriate fine for the defendant is $200,000.00 and that will be reduced by 25% to reflect a plea of guilty. (3) Accordingly, I order the defendant pay a fine of $150,000.00. (4) Pursuant to s 122(2) of the Fines Act 1996 (NSW), 50% of the fine imposed is to be paid to the prosecutor. (5) I make no order as to costs. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – prosecution – work health and safety – duty of persons undertaking business – risk of death or serious injury SENTENCE – objective seriousness – mitigating factors – aggravating factors – plea of guilty – general deterrence – specific deterrence – capacity to pay appropriate penalty COSTS – prosecution costs Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Fines Act 1996 (NSW) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (NSW) Cases Cited: Bulga Underground Operations v Nash [2016] NSWCCA 37; (2016) 93 NSWLR 338 Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of NSW [2000] NSWIRComm 71; (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Environmental Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Fisher v Samaras Industries Pty Ltd (1996) 82 IR 384 Inspector Howard v Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd [2009] NSWIRComm 92 Kirk v Industrial Commission of New South Wales; Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Childs) [2010] HCA 1; (2010) 239 CLR 531 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (1999) 90 IR 464 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Limited & Anor (No.3) [2005] NSWIRComm 61 Nash v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited; Attorney General for NSW v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited [2017] NSWCCA 96 Orbit Drilling v The Queen; Smith v The Queen [2012] VSCA 82 R v Cage [2006] NSWCCA 304 R v Miria [2009] NSWCCA 68 SafeWork NSW v HCM Building Pty Limited [2019] NSWDC 632 Veen v R (No. 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 WorkCover Authority (NSW) v Profab Industries Pty Ltd (2000) 49 NSWLR 700 Texts Cited: SafeWork Australia: Construction work – steel erection information sheet (January 2016) The SafeWork NSW Code of Practice, How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks (December 2011) SafeWork NSW Code of Practice, Code of Practice, Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace (July 2014) The Australian Standard AS4204 (Series) Safety of Machinery Category: Sentence Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) Williams Timber Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr M Scott (Prosecutor) Mr M Shume (Defendant)