WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Belley) v Hughston & Sons Pty Limited [2002] NSWIRComm 340

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Belley) v Hughston & Sons Pty Limited [2002] NSWIRComm 340 PROSECUTOR: WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Belley) PARTIES : DEFENDANT: Hughston & Sons Pty Limited FILE NUMBER: IRC3954, 3955, 3956 & 3957 of 2000 CORAM: Walton J Vice-President CATCHWORDS : Occupational health and safety - Plea of guilty - Small, remote, rural enterprise - No accident or injury - Charges for failure to store safely and failure to guard machinery - Breach proven if failure of employer causally connected with risk - Accident not relevant issue - Whether risk of serious consequences - Mitigating factors - Proactive approach required - General deterrence - Need for proper storage dangerous substances - Rural communities not immune - Specific deterrence - Subjective factors - Whether pleas of guilty at earliest opporunity - Financial means of defendant - Principle of totality - Whether need common elements - Overall criminality - Verdict entered - Penalty - Costs agreed LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 s10 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 s15 s16 Alcatel Australia Ltd v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Clyant) (1996) 70 IR 99 Cameron v The Queen (2002) 76 ALJR 382 Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of NSW (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Crown in Right of the State of New South Wales (Department of Education and Training) v Keenan (2001) 105 IR 181 Drake Personnel Limited t/as Drake Industrial v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 432 Ferguson v Nelmac Pty Limited (1999) 92 IR 188 Inspector Brett Martin v True Perspective Pty Limited [2002] NSWIRComm 197 Inspector Hannah v Wonar Pty Limited (unreported, Fisher CJ, Glynn and Cullen JJ, CT90/1214, 30 June 1992) Inspector John Patton v Brambles Australia Limited t/as Gardner Perrott [2002] NSWIRComm 178 Inspector Mayo-Ramsay v Rail Infrastructure Corporation [2002] NSWIRComm 217 Inspector William Hopkins v Michael Wherritt t/as M J Wherritt Concrete Pumping Services [2002] NSWIRComm 16 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 464 Postiglione v The Queen (1997) 189 CLR 295 CASES CITED : R v Cousins and Anor [2002] NSWCCA 340 R v Sharma (2002) 54 NSWLR 300 R v Thomson, R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Ridge Consolidated Pty Limited v Mauger [2002] NSWIRComm 108 Tyler v Sydney Electricity (1993) 47 IR 1 Warman International Limited v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Ankucic) (1998) 80 IR 326 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector McMartin) v Transfield Pty Limited t/as Transfield Maintenance (No. 2) (2001) 110 IR 160 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Ankucic) v McDonalds Australia Limited and Anor (1999) 95 IR 383 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Carmody) v Consolidated Constructions Pty Limited (2001) 109 IR 316 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Farrell) v Schrader [2002] 112 IR 284 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Lyons) v Warman International Limited (2001) 105 IR 236 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Mulder) v Yass Shire Council (2000) 99 IR 284 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Page) v Walco Hoist Rentals Pty Limited and Another (No 2) (2000) 99 IR 163 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Robins) v CT Plumbing Pty Limited [1991] NSWIRC 28 (16 December 1991) WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Thomas Clark) v Ledonne Constructions Pty Limited [2001] NSWIRComm 272 HEARING DATES: 03/07/2002; 10/21/2002 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 12/19/2002