SafeWork NSW v Buddco Pty Limited (No. 2) [2023] NSWDC 128

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v Buddco Pty Limited (No. 2) [2023] NSWDC 128 Hearing dates: 26 April 2023 Date of orders: 2 May 2023 Decision date: 02 May 2023 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Russell SC DCJ Decision: (1) Buddco Pty Limited was convicted on 26 April 2023. (2) Order Buddco Pty Limited to pay a fine of $600,000. (3) Order pursuant to Section 122(2) of the Fines Act 1996 (NSW) that 50% of the fine is to be paid to the prosecutor. (4) Order Buddco Pty Limited to pay the prosecutor's costs. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – prosecution – work health and safety – duty of persons undertaking business – risk of death serious injury – more than one person can have a duty SENTENCE – objective seriousness – mitigating factors – aggravating factors – general deterrence – specific deterrence – capacity to pay appropriate penalty – victim impact statement COSTS – prosecution costs OTHER – confined space work – defendant subcontracted worker to clean inside of ink tank – anchor blade not electrically isolated – worker trapped inside tank between blade and side of tank – suffered fatal injuries – other workers injured after entering tank to assist – failure to de-energise and isolate tank – failure to install interlocking device – failure to develop, implement and enforce safe work procedure – failure to provide adequate instructions and supervision Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 3A, 21A, 27, 28, 30A, 30B, 30D, 30E Fines Act 1996 (NSW), ss 6, 122 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), ss 3, 16, 19, 32 Cases Cited: Baumer v R [1988] HCA 67; (1988) 166 CLR 51 Bulga Underground Operations Pty Limited v Nash [2016] NSWCCA 37; (2016) 93 NSWLR 338 BW v R [2011] NSWCCA 176 Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2000] NSWIRComm 71; (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Mahdi Jahandideh v The Queen [2014] NSWCCA 178 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; (2011) 244 CLR 120 Nash v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited; Attorney General for NSW v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited [2017] NSWCCA 96 R v McNaughton [2006] NSWCCA 242; (2006) 66 NSWLR 566 R v Wilkinson (No. 5) [2009] NSWSC 432 SafeWork NSW v Buddco Pty Limited [2022] NSWDC 549 SafeWork NSW v DIC Australia Pty Ltd [2021] NSWDC 143 Unity Pty Limited v SafeWork NSW [2018] NSWCCA 266 Veen v The Queen (No. 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ankucic) v McDonald's Australia Ltd (1999) 95 IR 383 Category: Sentence Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) Buddco Pty Limited (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Magee (Prosecutor) M Scott with J Simpson (Defendant)