Inspector John Forster v Northpower [2002] NSWIRComm 92

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Inspector John Forster v Northpower [2002] NSWIRComm 92 PROSECUTOR: PARTIES : Inspector John Forster DEFENDANT: Northpower FILE NUMBER: IRC3347 of 2001 CORAM: Kavanagh J CATCHWORDS : Prosecution s15(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act - employees exposed to risk with use of metal tape measure near a live electrical conductor - dichotomy between the safety policy of the employer and risk assessments developed at different times by different areas of defendant's operations - anomaly created - foreseeable risk of injury - plea of guilty after amended Application for Order held to be the first reasonable opportunity to plea - full discount allowed - penalty imposed - costs as agreed LEGISLATION CITED : Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector James Swee Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 464 Riley v Australian Grader Hire Pty Ltd (2001) 103 IR 143 Tyler v Sydney Electricity (1993) 47 IR 1 Haynes v James Glass & Aluminium Pty Limited (unreported, CT91-772-775, 20 May 1994) CASES CITED : Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Insp Mayo-Ramsay) (2000) 49 NSWLR 610, (1999-2000) 99 IR 29 Fisher v Samaras Industries Pty Ltd (1996) 82 IR 384 R v Thompson, R v Houlton (1999-2000) 49 NSWLR 383, and 2000 115 A Crim R 104 Cameron v The Queen [2002] HCA 6 R v Sharma [2002] NSWCCA 142 Channon v The Queen (1978) 20 ALR 1 HEARING DATES: 04/11/2002 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 05/31/2002