Inspector Victor Larobina v Fan Electrics (NSW) Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 230

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Inspector Victor Larobina v Fan Electrics (NSW) Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 230 Prosecutor: PARTIES : Inspector Victor Larobina Defendant: Fan Electrics (NSW) Pty Ltd FILE NUMBER: IRC8249 of 2001 CORAM: Kavanagh J CATCHWORDS : Prosecution under s15(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - fatal injury - defendant provided labour under contract for installation of power supply - no specific work method for this task - no instruction or supervision - failure to provide and maintain safe system of work with electricity - failure to ensure employees not exposed to risk and failure to train and supervise employees - action of employees for consideration in assessment of culpability of defendant - foreseen risk - assessment of gravity - guilty plea - 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 Swift Placements Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector May) (2000) 96 IR 69 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 434 AXIA Pty Limited v Environmental Protection Authority (1993) 113 LGER 357 CASES CITED : WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Barnard) v Rail Infrastructure Corporation [2001] NSWIRComm 255 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Main Lighting Pty Limited (1995) 100 IR 248 Ferguson v Nelmac (1999) 92 IR 188 Tyler v Sydney Electricity (1993) 47 IR 1 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Callaghan) v Saunders Constructions Pty Ltd (unreported, CT1062 of 1993, 26 November 1993) Capral Aluminium Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mayo-Ramsay) (2000) 49 NSWLR 610, (1999-2000) 99 IR 29 R v Thomson, R v Houlton (1999-2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Sharma [2002] NSW CCA 142 HEARING DATES: 08/22/2002 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 09/06/2002