Inspector Campbell v James Gordon Hitchcock [2004] NSWIRComm 87

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Inspector Campbell v James Gordon Hitchcock [2004] NSWIRComm 87 PROSECUTOR Inspector Stephen Campbell PARTIES : DEFENDANT James Gordon Hitchcock FILE NUMBER: IRC 5660 & 5661 of 2001 CORAM: Walton J Vice-President CATCHWORDS : Occupational health and safety - s50 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - deemed offence - fatal truck accident - charges as to failures in relation to fatigue management systems - rest-stops - driving hours - driving rosters - warnings of the hazards of fatigue - warnings of the hazards of taking drugs - information, instruction, training and supervision - plea of not guilty - circumstantial evidence - findings of fact - risk of fatigue whilst driving - effects of night driving on fatigue - fatigue alleviated only by adequate sleep - driver fatigue a risk to health and safety - assumptions made in favour of defendant - actual fatigue on several occasions including date of accident - accident caused by fatigue - log-book regulations - payment structure encouraged excessive driving - pressure to meet delivery deadlines - relevant general principles - contention "risk of a risk" not sufficient to found a charge under Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - nature of risk - distinguish present and potential danger - speculative or unduly remote risks - causal nexus - risk caused by employer's failures - meaning of "employer's place of work" in s16(1) Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - defences - offences in Matter Nos. IRC5660 and 5661 of 2001 proven - matter to be set down for sentence. LEGISLATION CITED : Coroners Act 1980 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Abigroup Contractors Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Maltby) [2004] NSWIRComm 270 Chamberlain v. The Queen (No. 2) (1984) 153 CLR 521 Craig Andrew Corbett v Raymond Borg (unreported, Hungerford J, 29 March 1996) Cullen v State Rail Authority (NSW) (1989) 31 IR 207 Environment Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation (1997) 98 A Crim R 481 Haynes v C I & D Manufacturing (1994) 60 IR 149 at 152 Inspector Clarke v W L Meinhardt & Partners Pty Limited (unreported, Fisher CJ, 30 June 1992) Insp Hardman v Allied Construction Pty Ltd (Fisher P, unreported, 21 December 1990) Inspector McColl v Combined Crane Rigging & Arthur Didovich [2004] NSWIRComm 48 Insp Mobbs v Air Liquide Australia Ltd (Fisher P, unreported, 9 April 1998) Insp Paine v Boral Johns Perry Industries Pty Ltd t/as Boral Elevators (unreported, 8 August 1996) Insp Plowright v Peter J Davis (Newcastle) Pty Limited [2001] NSWIRComm 269 Inspector Stephen Campbell v James Gordon Hitchcock [2003] NSWIRComm 148 CASES CITED : Inspector Stephen Campell v James Gordon Hitchcock [2003] NSWIRComm 436 Kirkby v A & M I Hanson Pty Limited (1994) 55 IR 40 Martin v.Osborne (1936) 55 CLR 367 O'Sullivan v The Crown in the Right of the State of New South Wales (Department of Education and Training) (2003) 125 IR 361 Shepherd v The Queen (1990) 170 CLR 573 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Barry Childs) v Kirk Group Holdings Pty Limited and Anor [2004] NSWIRComm 207 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Byer) v Cleary Bros (Bombo) Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 278 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Dubois) v Concrete Constructions Group Ltd (No 1) (1999) 98 IR 362 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Farrell) v Ross Colin Morrison [2001] NSWIRComm 325 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Glass) v Kellogg (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 1) (1999) 101 IR 239 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Hughes) v Boral Montaro Pty Limited (unreported, Peterson J, 19 December 1997) WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Keenan) v Technical & Further Education Commission (1999) 92 IR 251 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Page) v Woolworths Ltd (unreported, Peterson J, 9 September 1994) WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Patton) v Fletcher Constructions Australia Ltd (2003) 123 IR 121