Inspector Dennis Howard v Boone & Willard Plumbing Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 228

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Inspector Dennis Howard v Boone & Willard Plumbing Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 228 Prosecution: PARTIES : Inspector Dennis Howard Defendant: Boone & Willard Plumbing Pty Ltd FILE NUMBER: IRC4274 of 2001 CORAM: Kavanagh J CATCHWORDS : Prosecution under s15(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - employer as sub-contractor identifies risk to safety - informs head contractor - employees without instruction proceed to site - action of employees for consideration in assessment of culpability for breach - question as to parity with penalty against head contractor with regard to different circumstances in question and different degrees of criminality - penalty imposed LEGISLATION CITED : Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector James Swee Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 464 Inspector May v McDonald's Australia Limited [2002] NSWIRComm 179 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Carmody) v Consolidated Constructions Pty Ltd (2001) 109 IR 316 Riley v Australian Grader Hire Pty Limited (2001) 103 IR 143 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Main Lighting Pty Limited (1995) 100 IR 248 AXIA Pty Limited v Environmental Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGERA 357 CASES CITED : Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (2000) 99 IR 16 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Anytime Industrial Services Pty Ltd (2001) 110 IR 34 R v Thomson, R v Houlton (1999-2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Sharma [2002] NSW CCA 142 Warman Ltd v WorkCover Authority (1998) 80 IR 326