SafeWork NSW v Auschem (NSW) Pty Limited [2017] NSWDC 338

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v Auschem (NSW) Pty Limited [2017] NSWDC 338 Hearing dates: 22 November 2017 Date of orders: 27 November 2017 Decision date: 27 November 2017 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Judge D. Russell Decision: 1. The offender is convicted. 2. Order the offender to pay a fine of $60,000. 3. Order that 50% of the fine is to be paid to the prosecutor. 4. Order the offender to pay the prosecutor's costs agreed in the sum of $31,000. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – prosecution – work health and safety – duty of persons undertaking business – risk of death or serious injury

SENTENCE – objective seriousness – mitigating factors – aggravating factors – plea of guilty – general deterrence – specific deterrence – appropriate penalty

SENTENCING PRINCIPLES – totality – remorse – contrition – appropriate penalty

COSTS – prosecution costs

OTHER – explosion and fire – decanting thinners – electrostatic ignition Legislation Cited: Work Health and Safety Act 2011 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 Fines Act 1996 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 Cases Cited: Veen v R (No. 2) (1998) 164 CLR 465 R v McNaughton (2006) 66 NSWLR 566 Baumer v R (1998) 166 CLR 51 BW v R [2011] NSWCCA 176 R v Wilkinson (No. 5) [2009] NSWSC 432 Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Nash v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited; Attorney General for NSW v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited [2017] NSWCCA 96; 93 NSWLR 338 Bulga Underground Operations Pty Limited v Nash (2016) NSWCCA 37 Nash v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited [2017] NSWCCA 96; 93 NSWLR 338 Jahandideh v R [2014] NSWCCA 178 Safework NSW v Omega International Coatings Pty Limited & Shetty [2016] NSWDC 11 Texts Cited: Australian Standard AS/NZS 1020: 1995 The Control of Undesirable Static Electricity SafeWork Australia Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous chemicals in the Workplace Category: Sentence Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) Auschem (NSW) Pty Limited (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr M. Moir (Prosecutor) Mr M. Cahill (Defendant)