Inspector Wilkie v Greater Lithgow Skills Training Incorporated t/as Greater Lithgow Employment Agency [2004] NSWIRComm 166

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Inspector Wilkie v Greater Lithgow Skills Training Incorporated t/as Greater Lithgow Employment Agency [2004] NSWIRComm 166 PROSECUTOR Inspector Robert Wilkie PARTIES : RESPONDENT Greater Lithgow Skills Training Incorporated t/as Greater Lithgow Employment Agency FILE NUMBER: 2599 of 2003 and 2600 of 2003 CORAM: Staff J CATCHWORDS : Occupational Health and Safety - Two charges under s 15(1) of the Occupational Health & Safety Act - Plea of guilty - Employee using a woodchipping machine - Risk to health and safety - Foreseeability - Early plea of guilty - Contrition - No prior conviction - Defendant withdrawn from providing labour - Employer limited means - Section 51A - Principle of totality - Offence proven - Penalty imposed - Defendant to pay the prosecutor's costs of proceedings as agreed LEGISLATION CITED : Occupational Health & Safety Act 1983 Fines Act 1996 Capral Aluminium Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (2000) 49 NSWLR 610, (2000) 99 IR 29 Crown in Right of the State of New South Wales (Department of Education and Training) v Keenan (2001) 105 IR 181 Drake Personnel Ltd t/a Drake Industrial v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ch'Ng) (1999) 90 IR 432 Fletcher Construction Australia Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Fisher) (1999) 91 IR 66 Inspector Jones v Supercut Concrete Service Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 83 Inspector Lyons v Active Tree Services Contracting Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 311 Inspector Wilkie v Batequip Pty Limited (formerly Bateman Equipment Pty Limited) T/as Ditch Witch Australia [2003] NSWIRComm 111 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 464 Manpac Industries Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Glass) (2001) 106 IR 435 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610 CASES CITED : R v Thomson, R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Sharma (2002) 54 NSWLR 300 State Rail Authority of New South Wales v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Dubois) (2000) 102 IR 218 Swift Placements Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (2000) 96 IR 69 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Yass Shire Council (2000) 99 IR 284 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mulder) v Arbor Products International (Australia) Pty Ltd (2001) 105 IR 81 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Barbosa) v Newstart 150 Pty Ltd (2002) 113 IR 78 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Buggy) v Weathertex Pty Ltd (2003) 127 IR 60 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Farrell) v Schrader (2002) 112 IR 284 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Moore) v Blacktown City Council (2003) 124 IR 59 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Waugh (1995) 59 IR 89 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Yass Shire Council (2000) 99 IR 284 HEARING DATES: 05/05/2004 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 06/10/2004