Inspector Barbosa v McDonalds Australia Limited [2003] NSWIRComm 196

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Inspector Barbosa v McDonalds Australia Limited [2003] NSWIRComm 196 PROSECUTOR: Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Feixeira Barbosa) PARTIES : DEFENDANT: McDonalds Australia Limited FILE NUMBER: IRC 3834 of 2000 CORAM: Walton J Vice-President CATCHWORDS : Occupational Health and Safety - Prosecution alleged a failure to provide appropriate plant and a failure to assess and prevent risks associated with manual handling activities - Plea of guilty - Objective seriousness of offence - Substantial systems of work - Significant efforts and expenditure in attempting to comply with Occupational Health and Safety obligations - Failure to provide appropriate plant - Failure to properly assess and avoid risks associated with manual handling activities - Risks to safety had the potential to have "serious consequences" - Potentially hazardous work environment - Nature of workforce relevant relevant to assessment of penalty - Deterrence - Both general and specific deterrence relevant to assessment of penalty in this case - Prior convictions - Interim convictions - Distinction between prior convictions and interim convictions unnecessary in this case as defendant's record not kind warranting "condign punishment" as discussed in Veen (No.2) - Subjective features in mitigation - Early plea of guilty - Assistance to prosecutor - Assistance to injured employee - Cooperation with prosecutor - Penalty imposed. LEGISLATION CITED : Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Bultitude v Grice Constructions Pty Limited (No 2) [2002] NSWIRComm 234 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Capral Aluminium Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Charara v New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions [2001] NSWCA 140 Department of Mineral Resources (Insp. McKensey) v Kembla Coal & Coke Pty Ltd (1999) 92 IR 8 Inspector Hannah v Wonar Pty Limited (unreported, Fisher CJ, CT90/1214, 30 June 1992) Inspector May v McDonald's Australia Limited [2002] NSWIRComm 179 Inspector Patton v Fletcher Construction Australia Limited (No 2) [2003] NSWIRComm 94 Inspector Webb v Namoi Cotton Co-op [2003] NSWIRComm 29 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Ltd v Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 464 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610 R v Boney (Unreported, Court of Criminal Appeal, Mahoney JA, Grove and Newmann JJ, 22 July 1991) R v Gardener [2003] NSWCCA 2 CASES CITED : R v Hutchins (1957) 75 WN (NSW) 75 R v Sharma [2002] NSWCCA 142 R v Thomson, R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Withers (1789( 3 TR 428 Ridge Consolidated Pty Ltd v Mauger (2002) 115 IR 78 Veen v The Queen [No 2] (1988) 164 CLR 465 Warman International Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (1998) 80 IR 326 Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Low) v Capral Aluminium Limited [2002] NSWIRComm 12 Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Insp Robert Stobo) v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (2002) 115 IR 130 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Insp. Riley) v Broken Hill Proprietary Co Ltd (1998) 83 IR 427 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Penfold) v Fernz Construction Materials Limited (2000) 100 IR 23 Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Petar Ankucic) v McDonald's Australia Limited (1999) 95 IR 383 Workcover Authority of New South Wales v Capral Aluminium Ltd (1998) 93 IR 211 Workcover v Capral Aluminium Ltd (1998) 82 IR 468 HEARING DATES: 10/29/2001; 03/21/2002; 05/07/2002; 10/14/2002 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 06/23/2003