WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Hannan) v Bitupave Ltd, t/as Boral Asphalt (No 2) [2000] NSWIRComm 245

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Hannan) v Bitupave Ltd, t/as Boral Asphalt (No 2) [2000] NSWIRComm 245 PROSECUTOR WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Peter Hannan) PARTIES : DEFENDANT Bitupave Limited, trading as Boral Asphalt FILE NUMBER: IRC 5867 and 5868 of 1996 CORAM: Hungerford J CATCHWORDS : Occupational Health and Safety - Prosecutions for breach of statutory duty - Pleas of not guilty - Employees operating a bitumen spray tanker on road sealing operations - Unsafe system of work - Failure to instruct and train - Ignition of a flammable cloud of vapour - Explosion - Fireball - Serious burn injuries to employee - Offences found proven and verdicts of guilty entered - Assessment of penalty - Objective seriousness - Subjective features in mitigation - Maximum penalty - Principle of totality applied - Fines imposed, with moiety to prosecutor - Costs allowed to prosecutor LEGISLATION CITED : Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 s 15(1) s 53 Drake Personnel Ltd, t/as Drake Industrial v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 432 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 464 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610 CASES CITED : Warman International Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ankucic) (1998) 80 IR 326 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Hannan) v Bitupave Ltd, t/as Boral Asphalt (No 1) (2000) 98 IR 246 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector May) v Swift Placements Pty Ltd (No 2) (1999) 96 IR 24 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ankucic) v Drake Personnel Ltd, t/as Drake Industrial (2000) 96 IR 45 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Dawson) v Waugh (1995) 59 IR 89 HEARING DATES: 10/04/2000 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 12/05/2000