Inspector Walker v On Track Community Programs Limited [2013] NSWIRComm 87

Industrial Relations Commission New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Inspector Walker v On Track Community Programs Limited [2013] NSWIRComm 87 Hearing dates: 19 March, 12 and 14 June 2013 Decision date: 27 September 2013 Before: Walton J, Vice-President Decision: In all the circumstances, the Court makes the following orders: (1) The defendant is convicted of the offence as charged. (2) The defendant is fined the sum of $115,000 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 under s 8(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 - guilty plea - sentencing - defendant non-government, not-for-profit organisation - sources of funding - HASI program - other programmes by defendant - policies and procedures of defendant - Home Visiting Policy - HASI workers - murder of HASI worker during home visit to mentally ill client - evidence - psychiatrist's report - nature of risks - capacity to eliminate, avoid or minimise - admission of mental patient to hospital - failure to obtain discharge summaries - relevant principle - objective factors - nature of risk - whether risk could have been eliminated - duty to control and minimise risk - mitigating factors re failure to obtain discharge summaries - moderate impact on objective seriousness - mitigating or exculpating factors - defendant not responsible clinical assessments under program - no observation of psychotic behaviour - risk unpredictable - need for additional measures - defendant knew of violent history - risk reasonably foreseeable - Consumer Safety Audit - simple remedial measures available - steps taken after incident demonstrate flaws in system - defendant had systems in place - not just paper systems - seriousness of injuries - maximum penalty - aggravation - HASI worker acts contrary to policy in home visit - contribution of third parties - failure to prosecute certain entities - deterrence - offence serious - subjective features strong - applications under ss 10 and 10A of Crimes Sentencing Procedure Act refused - verdict - penalty imposed - moiety - costs - orders made Legislation Cited: Crimes Sentencing Procedure Act 1999 Fines Act 1996 Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990 Mental Health Act 2007 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 Cases Cited: Alcatel Australia Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Clyant) (1996) 70 IR 99 Cahill v State of New South Wales (Department of Community Services) (No 4) [2008] NSWIRComm 201 Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2000] NSWIRComm 71; (2000) 49 NSWLR 610; (2000) 99 IR 29 Corinthian Industries (Sydney) Pty Ltd 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 Inspector Howard v Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd [2009] NSWIRComm 92; (2009) 186 IR 128 Inspector Jennifer Searle v Baptist Community Services - NSW & ACT, unreported, Matter No IRC 1520 of 2001, 19 December 2003 Inspector Lai v Rexma Pty Ltd and Another [2008] NSWIRComm 78; (2008) 172 IR 210 Inspector Lancaster v M L Colturi Sawmills Pty Ltd [2011] NSWIRComm 47 Inspector McColl v Combined Crane Rigging & Arthur Didovich [2004] NSWIRComm 48 Inspector Mason v Graham Allen Chapman & anor [2013] NSWIRComm 71 Inspector Middleton v Cafe C Pty Ltd [2012] NSWIRComm 131 Inspector Nicholson v Gallagher [2012] NSWIRComm 121 Inspector Yeung v Donald Edwin Wilson t/as Wilson's Tree Service [2005] NSWIRComm 158 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 Maxwell v The Queen (1996) 184 CLR 501 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd & Another (2004) 137 IR 253 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd & Anor. (No. 3) [2005] NSWIRComm 61; (2005) 147 IR 117 Newcastle Wallsend Coal Company Pty Limited and others v McMartin (No 2) [2007] NSWIRComm 125 O'Sullivan v The Crown in the Right of the State of New South Wales (Department of Education and Training) [2003] NSWIRComm 74; (2003) 125 IR 361 R v Mauger [2012] NSWCCA 51 R v Wilhelm [2010] NSWSC 378 R v Zhang [2004] NSWCCA 358 The Crown in the Right of State of New South Wales (Department of Education and Training) v O'Sullivan [2005] NSWIRComm 198; (2005) 143 IR 57 WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Jones) v Challita [2006] NSWIRComm 207; (2006) 153 IR 409 WorkCover Authority of NSW v Atco Controls Pty Limited (1998) 82 IR 80 Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Ankucic) v McDonald's Australia Limited and Anor [2000] NSWIRComm 277; (2000) 95 IR 383 Workcover Authority of NSW (Inspector Kelsey) v University of Sydney (Unreported, Industrial Relations Commission, NSW, Matter No. CT 1280 of 1995 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Mayell) v D J Gleeson Pty Ltd [2006] NSWIRComm 363 Category: Sentence Parties: Inspector Joanne Maree Walker (Prosecutor) On Track Community Programs Limited (Defendant) Representation: B G Docking of counsel (Prosecutor) B D Hodgkinson SC (Defendant) WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Prosecutor) Thynne and Macartney (Defendant) File Number(s): IRC 1136 of 2011