Inspector Hayes v Santos and Lorenzo [2009] NSWIRComm 163

Industrial Court of New South Wales

CITATION: Inspector Hayes v Santos and Lorenzo [2009] NSWIRComm 163

Inspector Hayes (Prosecutor) PARTIES: Jose Luis Santos (Defendant in IRC2008/654) Jaime Lorenzo (Defendant in IRC2008/656)

FILE NUMBER(S): IRC 654 and 656 of 2008

CORAM: Boland J President

CATCHWORDS: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY - prosecution under s 8(1) and s 26 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 - Corporation wound up and prosecution withdrawn - prosecution of two directors of corporation maintained pursuant to s 26(2) of Act - not guilty pleas - employee seriously injured whilst assisting in the lift by a mobile crane of large steel plate - whether the corporation contravened s 8(1) by failing: to ensure compliance with or to adequately enforce a safe system of work for lifting and moving steel plates; to conduct any, or any adequate, risk assessment; to provide any, or any adequate, instructions and training to ensure safe lifting and moving of steel plates; to provide any, or any adequate, information to ensure safe lifting and moving of steel plates; to provide any, or any adequate supervision of employees necessary to ensure safe lifting and moving steel plates - defences of due diligence - whether personal defendants used all due diligence to prevent the contravention by the corporation - held corporation contravened s 8(1) of the Act - held defences of due diligence not made out.

LEGISLATION CITED: Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000

Adams v ETA Foods Ltd (1987) 78 ALR 611 Cahill v State of New South Wales (Department of Community Services) (No 3) [2008] NSWIRComm 123; (2008) 182 IR 124 Drake Personnel Ltd t/as 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 Inspector James v Sunny Ngai [2007] NSWIRComm 203 Inspector Ken Kumar v David Aylmer Ritchie [2006] NSWIRComm 323 McLean v Tedman [1984] HCA 60; (1984) 155 CLR 306 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 297; (2004) 137 IR 253 Newcastle Wallsend Coal Co Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector McMartin) [2006] NSWIRComm 339; (2006) 159 IR 121 CASES CITED: Powercoal Pty Ltd v Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales [2005] NSWCA 345; 64 NSWLR 406; 156 A Crim R 269; 145 IR 327 Slivak v Lurgi (Australia) Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 304 State Pollution Control Commission v Kelly (1991) 5 ACSR 607 Tesco Supermarkets Ltd v Nattrass [1972] AC 153 Universal Telecasters (Qld) Ltd v Guthrie (1978) 18 ALR 531 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Insp Dowling) v Coster [1997] NSWIRComm 154 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Egan) v Atco Controls Pty Ltd (1998) 82 IR 80 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Hopkins) v Profab Industries Pty Ltd [2000] NSWIRComm 142; (2000) 49 NSWLR 700 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mansell) v Daly Smith Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 349 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Twynam-Perkins) v Maine Lighting Pty Ltd (1995) 100 IR 248