Inspector Jelley v Blue Circle Southern Cement Ltd [2009] NSWIRComm 195

Industrial Court of New South Wales

CITATION: Inspector Jelley v Blue Circle Southern Cement Ltd [2009] NSWIRComm 195

PARTIES: Inspector Jelley (Prosecutor) Blue Circle Southern Cement Ltd (Defendant)

FILE NUMBER(S): IRC 2345 of 2008

CORAM: Staff J

CATCHWORDS: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY – prosecution under s 8(2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 – cement manufacturing industry – electrocution – objective seriousness – absence of risk assessment – reasonably foreseeable risk to safety – existence of simple and straightforward remedial steps – general deterrence – specific deterrence – measures introduced to minimise and eliminate risks – subjective factors – good corporate citizenship – victim impact statement – prior convictions – early plea of guilty – penalty – costs.

LEGISLATION CITED: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000

Cameron v R (2002) 209 CLR 339 Capral Aluminium Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (2000) 49 NSWLR 610; (2000) 99 IR 29 Department of Mineral Resources of NSW (McKensey) v Kembla Coal and Coke Pty Ltd (1999) 92 IR 8 Department of Mineral Resources (Chief Inspector McKensey) v Berrima Coal Pty Ltd & Anor [2001] 105 IR 348 Inspector Glass v Foamex Polystyrene Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 100 Inspector Olive v Transfield Pty Limited [2001] NSWIRComm 295 Inspector Rebecca Nixon v George Weston Foods Ltd [2005] NSWIRComm 287 Inspector Sharpin v A Team Concrete (Aust) Pty Ltd & Ors [2004] NSWIRComm 182 Inspector Simpson v Tomago Aluminium Co Pty Ltd (unreported) Haylen J 27 April 2004 Matter No IRC 5351 of 2003 Inspector Victor Page v Rail Infrastructure Corporation. Prosecution under s 8(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 [2009] NSWIRComm 9 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 464 CASES CITED: Maddaford v CSR Limited and Mulgoa Quarries Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 337 Morrison v Coal Operations Australia Ltd (No 2) (2005) 141 IR 465 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd (2003) 130 IR 364 Nesmat Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (1998) 87 IR 312 Previtera (1997) 94 ACrimR 76 R v Mansour [1999] NSWCCA 180 R v S Y & Anor [2003] NSWCCA 291 R v Shankley [2003] NSWCCA 253 R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Veen v The Queen [No 2] (1987 - 1988) 164 CLR 465 (at 477 - 478) Wong v Melinda Group Pty Ltd (1998) 82 IR 118 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ankucic) v McDonald's Australia Ltd (2000) 95 IR 383 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Page) v Walco Hoist Rentals Pty Ltd & Anor (No 2) (2000) 99 IR 163