SafeWork NSW v Steggles Pty Ltd [2024] NSWDC 217

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v Steggles Pty Ltd [2024] NSWDC 217 Hearing dates: 4 June 2024 Date of orders: 14 June 2024 Decision date: 14 June 2024 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Russell SC DCJ Decision: (1) Steggles Pty Ltd is convicted. (2) The appropriate fine is $200,000 but that will be reduced by 20% to reflect the plea of guilty. (3) Order Steggles Pty Ltd to pay a fine of $160,000. (4) Order pursuant to Section 122(2) of the Fines Act 1996 (NSW) that 50% of the fine is to be paid to the prosecutor. (5) Order Steggles Pty Ltd to pay the prosecutor's 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 OTHER – poultry processing plant – conveyor line – blade – hock cutter – worker reattached chicken to conveyor line – hand caught – hand severed by blade Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 3A, 21A, 22 Fines Act 1996 (NSW), ss 6, 122 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), ss 3, 19, 32 Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (NSW) cl 208 Cases Cited: Alameddine v R [2020] NSWCCA 232 Baumer v R [1988] HCA 67; (1988) 166 CLR 51 BC v R [2020] NSWCCA 329 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 Chiang v R [2016] NSWCCA 45 Cowling v R [2015] NSWCCA 213 Filippou v The Queen [2015] HCA 29; (2015) 256 CLR 47 KMC v Director of Public Prosecutions (SA) [2020] HCA 6; (2020) 267 CLR 480 Leach v The Queen [2007] HCA 3; (2007) 230 CLR 1 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 AB [2011] NSWCCA 229 R v Kirkland [2005] NSWCCA 130 R v McNaughton [2006] NSWCCA 242; (2006) 66 NSWLR 566 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; (1999) 199 CLR 270 R v Pearce [2020] NSWCCA 61 R v Wang [2020] NSWSC 1335 R v Wilkinson (No. 5) [2009] NSWSC 432 Strbak v The Queen [2020] HCA 10; (2020) 267 CLR 494 Unity Pty Limited v SafeWork NSW [2018] NSWCCA 266 Veen v The Queen (No. 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 Texts Cited: Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4801 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, 2001 Australian Standard AS 4024.1801-2014 – Safety of Machinery Part 1801: Safety distances to prevent danger zones being reached by upper and lower limbs, June 2014 International Organisation for Standardization ISO 14001 – Environmental Management Systems – Requirements with Guidance for Use, 2015 International Organisation for Standardization ISO 45001 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – Requirements with Guidance for Use, 2018 SafeWork NSW Code of Practice – Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace, August 2019 Category: Sentence Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) Steggles Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Scott (Prosecutor) P Barry (Defendant)