WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mulder) v Arbor Products International (Australia) Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 50

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mulder) v Arbor Products International (Australia) Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 50 APPELLANT: WorkCover Authority of New South Wales PARTIES : RESPONDENT: Arbor Products International (Australia) Pty Ltd FILE NUMBER: IRC1963 of 2000 CORAM: Walton J Vice-President at 1; Kavanagh J at 56; Boland J at 1 CATCHWORDS : Occupational health and safety - Appeal against acquittal - Offence under s 18(2)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - Consideration of "when properly used" - Wood chipping machine inherently unsafe - Holistic approach taken by trial judge to question of safety in terms of operation of the machine - Such an approach obscured central issue of whether plant supplied for use at work was safe and without risks to health and safety - Not the intent of the legislature to allow a defence that defendant had provided an instruction manual or advice on how to use the plant supplied or had provided training to employees in the proper use of the plant at work - Obligations of supplier of plant not diminished because of error or negligence of an employee - Defendant guilty of offence as charged. Criminal Appeal Act 1912 LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Abboud v NSW Department of Education (1999) 92 IR 32 Ace Business Brokers Pty Ltd v Phillips-Treby (2000) 100 IR 420 Callaghan v Theiss Contractors Pty Limited (unreported, Matter No. 1377 of 1989, 20 December 1990) Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Drake Personnel Ltd t/a Drake Industrial v Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 432 Dunlop Rubber Australia Ltd v Buckley (1952) 87 CLR 313 Haynes v CI & D Manufacturing Pty Limited (1995) 60 IR 149 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Inspector Ankucic v Naomi Cotton Co-operative Ltd (unreported, 97/2251, 14 July 1998, Hill J) McLean v Tedman (1984) 155 CLR 306 CASES CITED : Re Solicitors (State) Award (No 3) (1996) 72 IR 225 Rice v Henley (1914) 19 CLR 19 Riley v Australian Grader Hire Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 31 Stone Miscrosystems (Aust) Pty Ltd v Kwong & Datamax Pty Ltd (1997) 42 NSWLR 160 Warman International Ltd v WorkCover Authority (NSW) (1998) 80 IR 326 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Acimall Australia Pty Limited (unreported CT 1065 and 1066 of 1996, 27 February 1998) WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Hopkins) v Profab Industries Pty Ltd (2000) 49 NSWLR 700 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Keenan) v Technical and Further Education Commission (1999) 92 IR 251 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Piggott) v Capral Aluminium Ltd (1998) 82 IR 468 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Twynam-Perkins) v Maine Lighting Pty Limited (1995) 100 IR 248