Nash v Resource Pacific Pty Ltd (No 3) [2018] NSWSC 45

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Nash v Resource Pacific Pty Ltd (No 3) [2018] NSWSC 45 Hearing dates: 15-18, 23-26, 29 February; 1-4, 8-11, 14-18, 22-23, 30-31 March; 1, 5-7, 13, 20, 29 April; 5, 17 May; 24, 28 June; 30 August; 2, 13-14, 20, 22, 26 September; 17-19 October; 6-7, 9 December 2016 Date of orders: 02 February 2018 Decision date: 02 February 2018 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Walton J Decision: I have reached the following conclusions in the matters before the Court:

(1) The prosecutor has failed to prove the defendant committed the charged contravention of s 8(2) of the Act with respect to particulars 6, 7, 8, 9 (as to the second particularised measure that the defendant should have insisted on different trucks that had adequate overhead fall protection) and 10 (noting that failures are particularised which correspond to each such particular) in proceeding 2016/00019632.

(2) The defendant has proved that it was not reasonably practicable for it to have complied with s 8(2) in the respects particularised in particulars 9 (with respect to the first particularised measure) and 11 (noting that failures were particularised corresponding to each such particular) in proceeding 2016/00019632.

(3) The prosecutor has failed to prove that the defendant committed the contravention of s 10(2) of the Act in the respects particularised in proceeding 2016/00019616.

The defendant is not guilty of the charges brought under ss 8(2) and 10(2) of the Act. The charges are dismissed. Catchwords: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY – trial – Resource Pacific Pty Ltd prosecuted under s 8(2) and s 10(2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 – not guilty pleas – defendant operator of coal mine – transport of reject material from reject bin for disposal – reject material released from hopper situated in bin into trucks – loading cycle involved programmable electronic control system to facilitate correct positioning of truck when load released – truck driver killed when reject material released from bin onto cabin of truck – particulars of respective charges considered – findings of a failure to prove beyond reasonable doubt a contravention or the defendant had proved on the balance of probabilities it was not practicable to comply with the duties under s 8(2) – defendant found not guilty – charges dismissed Legislation Cited: Clean Waters Regulations 1972 (NSW) Coal Mine Health and Safety Act 2002 (NSW) Coal Mine Health and Safety Regulation 2006 (NSW) Coal Mines Act 1911 (UK) Coal Mines Regulation Act 1982 (NSW) Environmental Offences and Penalties Act 1989 (NSW) Environmental Offences and Penalties Act 1989 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (Vic) Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (NZ) Metalliferous Mines General Regulations 1938 (UK) Mining Act 1992 (NSW) Mining Act 2002 (NSW) Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW) Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 (NSW) Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 (WA) Occupational, Health and Safety Act 1983 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) Cases Cited: Area Concrete Pumping v Inspector Childs (2012) 223 IR 86; [2012] NSWCA 208 Austin Rover Ltd v Inspector of Factories [1990] 1 AC 619 Baiada Poultry Pty Ltd v R (2012) 246 CLR 92; [2012] HCA 14 Buchanans Foundry Ltd v Department of Labour [1996] 3 NZLR 112 Bulga Underground Operations Pty Ltd v Nash [2016] NSWCCA 37 Burns v The Queen (2012) 246 CLR 334; [2012] HCA 35 Chevalley and Another v Industrial Court New South Wales and Others (2011) 82 NSWLR 634; [2011] NSWCA 357 Chevalley v Morrison [2012] HCATrans 31 Chugg v Pacific Dunlop Ltd (1990) 170 CLR 249 Coca Cola Amatil (NSW) Pty Ltd v Pareezer & Ors [2006] NSWCA 45 Dinko Tuna Farmers Pty Ltd v Markos (2007) 98 SASR 96; [2007] SAFC 166 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Poniatowska (2011) 244 CLR 408; [2011] HCA 43 Drake Personnel Limited trading as Drake Industrial v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Ch'ng) (1999) 90 IR 432 Edwards v National Coal Board [1949] 1 KB 704 Environmental Protection Authority v Alkem Drums Pty Limited (2000) 121 A Crim R 152; [2000] NSWCCA 416 Genner Constructions Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Guillarte) (2001) 110 IR 57; [2001] NSWIRComm 267 GPI (General) Pty Ltd v The Industrial Court (NSW) (2011) 207 IR 93; [2011] NSWCA 157 Hammersley Iron Pty Ltd v Robertson (unreported, WASC library No 980573, 2 October 1998) Haynes v CID Manufacturing Pty Ltd (1994) 60 IR 149 Hunter Quarries Pty Ltd v Morrison; Badior v Morrison [2017] NSWCCA 326 Inspector Batty v Intercoast Refrigerated Transport Pty Ltd [2012] NSWIRComm 55 Inspector Batty v Intercoast Refrigerated Transport Pty Ltd [2012] NSWIRComm 55 Inspector Christensen v Abigroup Contractors Pty Limited and Anor (2013) 238 IR 360; [2013] NSWIRComm 111 John Holland Pty Limited v The Industrial Court of NSW (2010) 202 IR 82; [2010] NSWCA 338 Kennedy-Taylor (NSW) Pty Limited v WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Charles) [2000] NSWIRComm 240 Kirk v Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531; [2010] HCA 1 Kirwin v The Pilbara Infrastructure Pty Ltd [2012] WASC 99 Laing O'Rourke (BMC) Pty Ltd v Kirwin [2011] WASCA 117 Lucantonio v Kleinert [2009] NSWSC 929 Marshall v Gotham Co Ltd [1954] AC 360 McMartin v The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd (1988) 100 IR 241 Morrison v Chevalley (2010) 198 IR 30; [2010] NSWIRComm 116 Morrison v Coal Operations Australia Ltd (2004) 137 IR 375; [2004] NSWIRComm 239 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Ltd (2004) 137 IR 253; [2004] NSWIRComm 297 Nash v Resource Pacific Pty Ltd (No 2) [2016] NSWIC 8 National Hire Pty Ltd v Howard (2003) 126 IR 240; [2003] NSWIRComm 144 Paric v John Holland (Construction) Pty Limited (1985) 59 ALJR 844; [1985] HCA 58 Plomp v The Queen (1963) 110 CLR 234 Ramsay v Watson (1961) 108 CLR 642 Ridge Consolidated Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority (NSW) (2002) 115 IR 78; [2002] NSWIRComm 108 Rockdale Beef Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of NSW (2007) 165 IR 7; [2007] NSWCA 128 Shannon v Comalco Aluminium (1986) 19 IR 358 Shepherd v The Queen (1990) 170 CLR 573 Simpson Design Associates Pty Ltd v Industrial Court (NSW) (2011) 214 IR 373; [2011] NSWCA 316 Slivak v Lurgi (Aust) Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 304; [2001] HCA 6 Slogget v Adams (1953) 70 WN (NSW) 206 St Hilliers Contracting Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority (NSW) (2007) 162 IR 241; [2007] NSWIRComm 39 State Rail Authority (NSW) v Dawson (1990) 37 IR 110 State Transit Authority (NSW) v Guillarte (2003) 123 IR 237; [2003] NSWIRComm 128 The Crown in the Right of the State of New South Wales (Department of Education and Training) v Maurice O'Sullivan (2005) 143 IR 57; [2005] NSWIRComm 198 The GEO Group Australia Pty Limited t/as Junee Correctional Centre v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2012] NSWCA 150 The Queen v Hillier (2007) 228 CLR 618; [2007] HCA 13 Thiess Pty Limited v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 78 NSWLR 94; [2010] NSWCA 252 Thorneloe v Filipowski (2001) 52 NSWLR 60; [2001] NSWCCA 213 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422; [2005] HCA 62 Wood v The Queen [2012] NSWCCA 21 Workcover Authority (Inspector Robins) v Ecolab Pty Limited (1999) 90 IR 413; [1999] NSWIRComm 300 WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Legge) v Coffey Engineering Pty Ltd (No 2) (2001) 110 IR 447; [2001] NSWIRComm 319 WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Mulder) v Arbor Products International (Aust) Pty Ltd (2001) 105 IR 81; [2001] NSWIRComm 50 WorkCover Authority (NSW) (Inspector Wolf) v Rockdale Beef Pty Ltd (2006) 155 IR 366; [2006] NSWIRComm 280 WorkCover Authority (NSW) v ATCO Controls Pty Ltd (1998) 82 IR 80 WorkCover Authority (NSW) v Kellogg (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 1) (1999) 101 IR 239; [1999] NSWIRComm 453 WorkCover Authority (NSW) v Police Service (NSW) (No 2) (2001) 104 IR 268; [2001] NSWIRComm 90 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Patton) v Fletcher Constructions Australia Ltd (2002) 123 IR 121; [2002] NSWIRComm 316 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Smith) v Dubavo Pty Limited (unreported, CT93/1247-1249, 24 July 1995) WorkCover (Inspector Byer) v Cleary Bros (Bombo) Pty Ltd (2001) 110 IR 182; [2001] NSWIRComm 278 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jennifer Ann Nash (Prosecutor) Resource Pacific Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: JV Agius SC with BL Clark and RJ Rankin (Prosecutor) DA Buchanan SC with ML Shume (Defendant)