Rodney Morrison v Hunter Quarries Pty Limited and Another [2009] NSWIRComm 179

Industrial Court of New South Wales

CITATION: Rodney Morrison v Hunter Quarries Pty Limited and Another [2009] NSWIRComm 179

PROSECUTOR: Rodney Morrison PARTIES: DEFENDANTS: Hunter Quarries Pty Limited Richard Alexanda Badior

FILE NUMBER(S): IRC 954 and 955 of 2007

CORAM: Backman J

CATCHWORDS: Occupational health and safety - Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 - pleas of guilty to section 8(1) and section 8(1)/section 26(1) offences - operator of Terex off-road dump truck fatally injured when truck becomes out of control and plunges over the embankment of the haul road at Karuah Quarry - multiple failures to ensure the operator's safety including defective brakes, non-functional steering and inadequate maintenance of the truck - agreed facts - disputed facts - objective seriousness - nature and quality of offences - consequence of breaches of 2000 Act - conduct of operator of truck considered - reasonable foreseeability of the risk to safety - remedial measures available - general and specific deterrence - systems of work pre-accident - post-accident changes - pleas of guilty utilitarian value considered - no prior convictions - cooperation and assistance - contrition - capacity to pay - whether Court should exercise discretion under section 10 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 in favour of individual defendant - penalty - victim impact statements - orders.

Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 LEGISLATION CITED: Mines Inspection Act 1901 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000

Anthony Keith Coleman (1991) 56 ACrimR 369 Cahill v State of New South Wales (Department of Community Services) (No 4) (2008) 182 IR 231 Capral Aluminium Ltd v WorkCover Authority of NSW (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Daly Smith Corporation (Aust) Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Mansell) (2006) 151 IR 173 Fisher v Samaras Industries Pty Limited (1996) 82 IR 384 Fletcher Construction Australia Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Fisher) (1999) 91 IR 66 Inspector Colin Wall v Orica Australia Pty Limited [2009] NSWIRComm 146 Inspector Jennifer Short v The Crown in the Right of the State of NSW (NSW Police) [2007] NSWIRComm 138 . Inspector Glass v Foamex Polystyrene Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 100 Inspector Legge v Intercast & Forge Pty Ltd [2006] NSWIRComm 182 Inspector Mayo-Ramsay (WorkCover Authority of NSW) v The Crown in the Right of the State of New South Wales (NSW Fire Brigades) (No 2) [2007] NSWIRComm 168 Inspector Stephen Cooper v Rail Infrastructure Corporation [2008] NSWIRComm 92 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 Mark Andrew Bollen (1998) 99 A Crim R 510 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd (2003) 130 IR 364 R v Berg [2004] NSWCCA 300 Reg. v Rushby [1977] 1 NSWLR 594 R v Thomson & Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Rail Infrastructure Corporation v Inspector Victor Page [2008] NSWIRComm 169 Riley v Australian Grader Hire Pty Ltd (2001) 103 IR 143 Salvatore Previtera (1997) 94 A Crim R 76 South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club Ltd v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Bestre) (2005) 142 IR 373 Veen and The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ankucic) v McDonald's Australia Limited and Anor (2000) 95 IR 383 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Downie) v Menzies Property Services Pty Ltd (2004) 136 IR 449 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ross Wolf) v South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service (No 3) [2007] NSWIRComm 268 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd (2005) 137 IR 462