Inspector Mason v Graham Allen Chapman & anor [2013] NSWIRComm 71

Industrial Relations Commission New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Inspector Mason v Graham Allen Chapman & anor [2013] NSWIRComm 71 Hearing dates: Tuesday 28 May 2013 Decision date: 28 August 2013 Jurisdiction: Industrial Court of NSW Before: Walton J, Vice-President Decision: Matter No IRC 1550 of 2011: 1. The defendant is convicted of the offence as charged; 2. The defendant is fined in the sum of $4,000 with a moiety to the prosecutor; 3. The Court further orders that the defendant shall pay the costs of the prosecutor for these proceedings as agreed or, in default, as assessed. Matter No IRC 1551 of 2011: 1. The defendant is convicted of the offence as charged; 2. The defendant is fined in the sum of $40,000 with a moiety to the prosecutor; 3. The Court further orders that the defendant shall pay the costs of the prosecutor for these proceedings as agreed, or in default, as assessed. Catchwords: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY - prosecution of corporation under s 10(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 - prosecution of director of corporation under s 10(1) by virtue of s 26(1) - corporation owner and controller of premises - premises a disused abattoir - work being undertaken to evaluate the suitability of converting the premises into a mushroom farm - work included the detachment of evaporator units suspended above the floor in the abattoir's former cool rooms - risk that persons at work at the premises detaching evaporator units would be struck by an evaporator unit - ad hoc method developed for removal of evaporator units - no persons at premises with appropriate rigging qualifications or experience removing evaporator units - worker departed from ad hoc method - worker unsupervised - worker struck by falling evaporator unit and injured - pleas of guilty - sentencing - objective factors - maximum penalty - risk was foreseeable - inadequate systems in place prior to incident - simple remedial measures available - general deterrence - corporation no longer operative - individual defendant no longer working and unlikely to do so in the future due to ill health - negligible element of specific deterrence - culpability of individual defendant - individual defendant "hands on" - culpability the same as the corporate defendant - offence reasonably serious - subjective factors - remorse and contrition - assistance to injured worker and family - co-operation with the prosecutor - discount for pleas - first offenders - consideration of s 10A of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 - section not applied - s 6 of the Fines Act 1996 applied in respect of each defendant - each defendant facing financial difficulty and a reduced capacity to pay any fine - some reduction in penalty - penalties imposed - moiety - costs Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 Fines Act 1996 Interpretation Act 1987 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 Cases Cited: Alcatel Australia Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Clyant) (1996) 70 IR 99 Cameron v R (2002) 209 CLR 339 Capral Aluminium v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2000] NSWIRComm 71; (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Corinthian Industries (Sydney) Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Wilson) [2000] NSWIRComm 46; (2000) 99 IR 159 Department of Mineral Resources of NSW (McKensey) v Kembla Coal & Coke Pty Ltd (1999) 92 IR 8 at 33 Department of Mineral Resources of NSW v AM Hoipo & Sons Pty Ltd (2000) 99 IR 137 Environmental Protection Authority v N (1992) 26 NSWLR 352 at 358 - 359 Graincorp Operations Limited v Inspector Mason [2006] NSWIRComm 304; (2006) 157 IR 103 Haynes v C I & D Manufacturing Pty Ltd (No.2) (1995) 60 IR 455 Hookham v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 450 at 459 Inspector Barry Childs v Kirk Group Holdings Pty Limited & Anor [2005] NSWIRComm 1 Inspector Dall v Ullrich [2012] NSWIRComm 87 Inspector Estreich v Hadfield [2012] NSWIRComm 88 Inspector Green v Big River Timbers Pty Limited; Inspector Green v Big River Timbers (Veneer) Pty Limited [2006] NSWIRComm 279 Inspector Howard v Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd [2009] NSWIRComm 92; (2009) 186 IR 125 Inspector Kent v Duct Master Pty Ltd [2009] NSWIRComm 143 Inspector Lai v Rexma Pty Ltd and Another [2008] NSWIRComm 78 Inspector Middleton v Cafe C Pty Ltd [2012] NSWIRComm 131 Inspector Nicholson v Gallagher [2012] NSWIRComm 121 Inspector Short v The Crown in the Right of the State of New South Wales (NSW Police) [2007] NSWIRComm 138 Inspector Simpson v Tomago Aluminium [2005] NSWIRComm 117 Inspector Stephen Charles v Premier Precast Pty Limited [2009] NSWIRComm 136 Inspector Walker v Roads and Maritime Services [2012] NSWIRComm 105 JT & LC Tippett Pty Limited and RD & LF Tippett Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2008] NSWIRComm 177; (2008) 184 IR 1 Maddaford v CSR Limited and Mulgoa Quarries Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 337 Markarian v R (2005) 228 CLR 357 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd & Anor. (No. 3) [2005] NSWIRComm 61 Nash v Austerberry Directional Drilling Services Pty Ltd [2013] NSWIRComm 37 Inspector Simpson v Tomago Aluminium [2005] NSWIRComm 117 Page v Walco Hoist Rentals Pty Ltd (No 2) [2000] NSWIRComm 39 Powercoal Pty Ltd and Anor v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW and Anor (2005) 145 IR 327; 156 A Crim R 269; 64 NSWLR 406 R v Thompson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 R v Wilhelm [2010] NSWSC 378 Rodney Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd [2003] NSWIRComm 416; (2003) 130 IR 364 Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ankucic) v McDonald's Australia Ltd and Anor [2000] NSWIRComm 1123; (2000) 95 IR 383 WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Jones) v Challita [2006] NSWIRComm 207 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Kelsey) v University of Sydney (unreported, Industrial Relations Commission, NSW, Matter No. CT 1280 of 1995, Hill J, 2 April 1997) WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Lane) v Australian Winch & Haulage Co Pty Ltd (2000) 102 IR 40 WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Maddaford) v Coleman (2004) 138 IR 21 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mayell) v D J Gleeson Pty Ltd [2006] NSWIRComm 363 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mulder) v Arbor Products International (Australia) Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 50; (2001) 105 IR 81 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Page) v Walco Hoist Rentals Pty Limited (2000) 99 IR 163 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Petar Ankucic) v McDonald's Australia Limited and Another [2000] NSWIRComm 277 Category: Sentence Parties: Inspector Gary Mason (Prosecutor - both matters) Graham Allen Chapman (Defendant IRC 1550 of 2011) G & N Chapman Pty Ltd (Defendant IRC 1551 of 2011) Representation: C T Magee of counsel (Defendant - both matters) WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Prosecutor - both matters) Carroll & O'Dea (Defendant - both matters) File Number(s): IRC 1550 of 2011 IRC 1551 of 2011