WorkCover Authority of NSW v Company B Ltd [2000] NSWIRComm 119

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : WorkCover Authority of NSW v Company B Ltd [2000] NSWIRComm 119 PROSECUTOR: PARTIES : WorkCover Authority DEFENDANT: Company B Ltd FILE NUMBER: IRC 4820 & 4821 of 1999 CORAM: Boland J CATCHWORDS : Occupational Health and Safety - temporary seating stand collapsed during staging of a theatrical play - employees and members of the public injured - plea of guilty - not appropriate to apply s10 of Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 - sense of injustice arising out of non-prosecution of local government authority - principle of totality applied - guilty verdict entered - penalty of $40,000 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 s15 & s16 LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes Act 1900 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Insp Ch'ng) (1990) 90 IR 464 Nesmat Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (1998) 87 IR 312 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Hopkins) v Profab Industries Pty Ltd (1999) 90 IR 119 Inspector Peter Ankucic v Rapid Packaging Services Pty Ltd (unreported, CIM 94/1323 & 1324, 6 April 1995) Schultz v Tamworth City Council (1995) 58 IR 221 at 229 CASES CITED : WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Robins) v Ecolab Pty Ltd (1999) 90IR413 at 430-431 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Waugh (1995) 59IR89 at 101 Van Rooy Machinery Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Wolf)[2000]NSWIR Comm 48 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Guillarte) v Genner Constructions Pty Ltd [2000] NSW IRComm 87 Moore v EW Cox Pty Ltd (1990) 37 IR 145 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610 at 623 Mill v The Queen (1988) 166 CLR 59. HEARING DATES: 06/14/2000 EXTEMPORE JUDGMENT DATE : 07/13/2000