Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Byer) v Cleary Bros (Bombo) Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 278

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Byer) v Cleary Bros (Bombo) Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 278 PROSECUTOR: Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Byer) PARTIES : DEFENDANT: Cleary Bros (Bombo) Pty Ltd FILE NUMBER: IRC 7048 of 1999 CORAM: Walton J Vice-President CATCHWORDS : Occupational health and safety - Alleged failure to ensure that persons not in employer's employment not exposed to risks to health and safety - Man slipped and fell into rubbish pit whilst unloading mini-skip vehicle - Alleged failure to provide effective barriers - Alleged failure to ensure that ground was clean and free of debris - Alleged failure to ensure metal plates beside pit not slippery - Not sufficient evidence in relation to metal plates - Obvious risk to safety as a result of absence of barriers and spillage of rubbish - Elements of the offence made out - Whether defence established under s53 of the Act - Principles - Necessity of balancing likelihood and gravity of risk with cost, difficulty or trouble of averting the risk - Risk foreseeable and known - Whether reasonably practicable to erect barriers or fencing - Whether reasonably practicable to reserve separate area for mini-skip trucks to unload - Whether reasonably practicable to keep area clean and free of debris - Defence made out on case brought by the prosecution - Summons dismissed. Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 ss16(1) 53(a) and (b) LEGISLATION CITED : Occupational Health and Safety Act 1986 (SA) s24(2a)

Austin Rover Ltd v Inspector of Factories [1990] 1 AC 619 Carrington Slipways Pty Ltd v Callaghan (1985) 11 IR 467 Concrete Constructions Group Ltd v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Dubois) No 2) (2000) 99 IR 16 Drake Personnel Ltd t/as Drake Industrial v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Ch'Ng) (1999) 90 IR 432 Edwards v National Coal Board [1949] 1 KB 704 Environmental Protection Authority v Sydney Water Corporation (1997) 98 A Crim R 481 Haynes v C I & D Manufacturing Pty Ltd (1995) 60 IR 149 Jayne v National Coal Board [1963] 3 All ER 220 Kennedy Taylor (NSW) Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Charles) (2000) 102 IR 57 Mainbrace Constructions Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Charles) (2000) 102 IR 84 CASES CITED : Mansell v Anytime Industrial Services Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 237 Marshall v Gotham Co Ltd [1954] AC 360 R v Saffron (1989) 17 NSWLR 395 Shannon v Comalco Aluminium Ltd (1986) 19 IR 358 Slivak v Lurgi (Aust) Pty Ltd (2001) 75 ALJR 481 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Keelty) v Crown in Right of the State of New South Wales (Police Service of NSW) (No 2) (2001) 104 IR 268 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Dubois) v Concrete Constructions Group Ltd (No 1) (1999) 98 IR 362 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inpsector Penfold) v Fernz Construction Materials Ltd (1999) 91 IR 119 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Glass) v Kellogg (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 1) (2000) 101 IR 239 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Mayo-Ramsay) v Maitland City Council (1998) 83 IR 362 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Ankucic) v McDonalds (Aust) Pty Ltd (1999) 95 IR 383