SafeWork NSW v Stitt [2024] NSWDC 255

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v Stitt [2024] NSWDC 255 Hearing dates: 11-13, 15, 18-20 March 2024; 30 May 2024 Date of orders: 28 June 2024 Decision date: 28 June 2024 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Scotting DCJ Decision: (1) I find the defendant guilty of the s 32 offence. (2) The matter will be listed for sentence on a date convenient to the parties. Catchwords: CRIME – prosecution – work health and safety – duty of persons undertaking business – duty of employer – risk of death or serious injury – death of worker Legislation Cited: Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 Cases Cited: Baiada Poultry Pty Ltd v R (2012) 246 CLR 92 Bulga Underground Operations v Nash [2016] NSWCCA 37 Carrington Slipways Pty Ltd v Callaghan (1985) 11 IR 467 Collins v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1986) 5 NSWLR 209 Director of Public Prosecutions v JCS Fabrications Pty Ltd and JMAL Group Pty Ltd [2019] VSCA 50 Director of Public Prosecutions v Vibro-Pile (Aust) Pty Ltd (2016) 49 VR 676 Dunlop Rubber Australia Ltd v Buckley (1952) 87 CLR 313 Genner Constructions Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2001] NSWIRComm 267 Grasso Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd v SafeWork NSW [2021] NSWCCA 288 Inspector Ching v Bros Bins Systems Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 197 Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531 Laing O'Rourke (BMC) Pty Ltd v Kirwin [2011] WASCA 117 Laing O'Rourke (BMC) Pty Ltd v Kirwin [2011] WASCA 117 R v Board of Trustees of the Science Museum [1993] 1 WLR 1171 R v Commercial Industrial Construction Group Pty Ltd (2006) 14 VR 321 R v Nelson Group Services (Maintenance) Ltd [1998] 4 All ER 332 Royall v The Queen (1991) 172 CLR 378 Simpson Design and Associates Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 316 Slivak v Lurgi (Aust) Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 304 Smith v Broken Hill Pty Ltd (1957) 97 CLR 337 Tangerine Confectionery Ltd and Veolia ES (UK) Ltd v R [2011] EWCA Crim 2015 Thiess Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 78 NSWLR 94 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Kellogg (Aust) Pty Ltd [1999] NSWIRComm 453 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd (2004) 135 IR 166 WorkCover Authority of NSW v Atco Controls Pty Ltd (1998) 82 IR 80 Texts Cited: 2011 WorkCover NSW Guide to Erecting, Altering and Dismantling Scaffolds Part 2 Scaffolding Part 3: Prefabricated and tube-and-coupler scaffolding AS 1576.3:2015 Category: Principal judgment Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) Jason Stitt (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Magee (Prosecutor) M Baroni (Defendant)