Saunders Civilbuild Pty Ltd v SafeWork New South Wales [2023] NSWCCA 261

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Saunders Civilbuild Pty Ltd v SafeWork New South Wales [2023] NSWCCA 261 Hearing dates: 26 July 2023 Date of orders: 18 October 2023 Decision date: 18 October 2023 Before: Beech-Jones CJ at CL at [1]; Walton J at [22]; McNaughton J at [398]. Decision: (1) The appeal is dismissed. (2) The parties have liberty to apply to Walton J within 21 days for directions in relation to any proposed appeal against sentence. Catchwords: APPEALS – appeal against conviction – nature of appeal - failure to establish any of the three grounds of appeal - appeal is dismissed – conviction sustained. EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRIAL – prosecution – work health and safety – relevant principles – duty of persons undertaking business – duty of employers – risk of death or serious injury – death of worker – s 19(1) of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) – elements of offences – reasonable practicability – Baiada – written instructions – training – supervision - relevance of post-incident conduct – essential facts – safe work procedures and methods – written instructions and directions – whether safe work methods and procedures were reasonably practicable - omissions CRIMINAL LAW – appeal - work health and safety – exposing employee to risk of death or serious injury – conviction sustained EVIDENCE – communication with deceased persons – rejection of evidence when it is illogical, unreliable or contradictory to a large body of alternative evidence - Landmark Roofing – accepting parts but not all evidence Legislation Cited: Coal Mines Act 1911 (UK) Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) Criminal Appeal Act 2012 (NSW), s 5AA(1)(a) Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (NZ) Metalliferous Mines General Regulations 1938 (UK) Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 (Vic) Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 (WA) Work Health and Safety Act 2022 (NSW), s 155 Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 (NT) Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), ss 19, 32, 155 Cases Cited: City of Adelaide v Australasian Performing Right Association (1928) 40 CLR 481; [1928] HCA 10 Allianz Australia Ltd v GSF Australia Pty Ltd (2005) 221 CLR 568; [2005] HCA 26 Baiada Poultry Pty Ltd v The Queen (2012) 246 CLR 92; [2012] HCA 14 Bennett v Minister of Community Welfare (1992) 176 CLR 408; [1992] HCA 27 Buchanans Foundry Ltd v Department of Labour [1996] 3 NZLR 112 Bulga Underground Operations Pty Ltd v Nash (2016) NSWLR 338; [2016] NSWCCA 37 Burns v The Queen (2012) 246 CLR 334; [2012] HCA 35 Capral Aluminium Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (2000) 49 NSWLR 610; [2000] NSWIRComm 71 City of Adelaide v Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (1928) 40 CLR 481; [1928] HCA 10 Cullen v State Rail Authority (NSW) (1989) 31 IR 207; [1989] AR (NSW) 588 Davis v Langdon [1911] 11 SR (NSW) 149 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Poniatowska (2011) 244 CLR 408; [2011] HCA 43 Director of Public Prosecutions v JCS Fabrications Pty Ltd [2019] VSCA 50 Director of Public Prosecutions (Vic) v Vibro-Pile (Aust) Pty Ltd (2016) 49 VR 676; [2016] VSCA 55 Dunlop Rubber Australia Ltd v Buckley (1952) 87 CLR 313; [1952] HCA 72 Environmental Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation Limited (1997) 98 LGERA 361; (1997) 98 A Crim R 481 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118; [2003] HCA 22 Genner Constructions Pty Ltd v Work Cover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Guillarte) (2001) 110 IR 57 Hamilton v DPP (2020) 287 A Crim R 268; [2020] NSWSC 1745 Hamilton v State of New South Wales [2020] NSWSC 700 Haynes v CI & D Manufacturing Pty Ltd (1994) 60 IR 149 Hunt v Barlow [2000] NSWSC 324 Hunter Quarries Pty Ltd v Morrison; Badior v Morrison (2017) 96 NSWLR 658; [2017] NSWCCA 326 Inspector Christensen v Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd (2013) 238 IR 360; [2013] NSWIRComm 111 Kirk v Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531; [2010] HCA 1 Laing O'Rourke (BMC) Pty Ltd v Kirwin [2011] WASCA 117 Landmark Roofing Pty Ltd v Safe Work NSW [2021] NSWCCA 95 Leyshon v Western Australia [2007] WASCA 223 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd (2004) 137 IR 253; [2004] NSWIRComm 297 Nash v Silvercity Drilling NSW Pty Ltd; Attorney-General for NSW v Silvercity Drilling (NSW) Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCCA 96 New South Wales v O'Sullivan (2005) 143 IR 57; [2005] NSWIRComm 198 Nelson v John Lysaght (Australian Ltd) (1975) 132 CLR 201 Nguyen v R (2012) 267 FLR 344; [2012] ACTCA 24 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544; [1915] HCA 14 R v Board of Trustees of the Science Museum [1993] 1 WLR 1171; [1993] 3 All ER 853 R v Commercial Industrial Construction Group Pty Ltd (2006) 14 VR 321; [2006] VSCA 181 R v Jasper [2003] NSWSC 285 R v Leonie [1999] NSWCCA 319 R v Mulcahy [2010] ACTSC 98 R v VHP (Unreported, NSWCCA, 7 July 1997 Royall v The Queen (1991) 172 CLR 378; [1991] HCA 27 SafeWork NSW v Saunders Civilbuild Pty Ltd [2021] NSWDC 605 SafeWork NSW v Saunders Civilbuild Pty Ltd (No 2) [2022] NSWDC 163 Shannon v Camalco Aluminium Ltd (1986) 19 IR 358 Simpson Design and Associates Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of NSW (2011) 213 A Crim R 340; [2011] NSWCA 316 Slivak v Lurgi (Australia) Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 304; [2001] HCA 6 Smith v Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd (1957) 97 CLR 337; [1957] HCA 34 State Rail Authority (NSW) v Dawson (1990) 37 IR 110 Thiess Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 78 NSWLR 94; [2010] NSWCA 252 Unity Pty Ltd v SafeWork NSW [2018] NSWCCA 266 Whelan v The Queen (2012) 228 A Crim R 1; [2012] NSWCCA 147 Work Cover Authority (NSW) v Fletcher Constructions Australia Ltd (2002) 123 IR 121; [2002] NSWIR Comm 316 Work Health Authority v Outback Ballooning Pty Ltd (2019) 266 CLR 428; [2019] HCA 2 WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Legge) v Coffey Engineering Pty Ltd (No 2) (2001) 110 IR 447; [2001] NSWIRComm 319 WorkCover Authority (NSW) v ATCO Controls Pty Ltd (1998) 82 IR 80 WorkCover Authority (NSW) v Kellogg (Aust) Pty Ltd [1999] NSWIRComm 453 WorkCover Authority (NSW) v Police Service (NSW) (No 2) (2001) 104 IR 268; [2001] NSWIRComm 90 WorkCover Authority of (NSW) v Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd (2004) 135 IR 166; [2004] NSWIRComm 207 Texts Cited: SafeWork NSW, Managing The Risk Of Falls At Workplaces, Code Of Practice (April 2016) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Saunders Civilbuild Pty Ltd (Appellant) SafeWork NSW (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: M Cunneen SC with P Barry (Appellant) J Agius SC with M Cahill (Respondent)