SafeWork NSW v The Austral Brick Co Pty Limited [2018] NSWDC 387

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v The Austral Brick Co Pty Limited [2018] NSWDC 387 Hearing dates: 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31 July 2018 and 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 17 August 2018 Date of orders: 11 December 2018 Decision date: 11 December 2018 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Scotting DCJ Decision: 1 The prosecution has not proved all of the elements of the offence beyond reasonable doubt. 2 I will not enter final orders until the prosecution has had an opportunity to consider the application pursuant to section 5AE Criminal Appeal Act 1912. 3 I will list the matter on 4 February 2019 to determine the appropriate course. Catchwords: CRIME – prosecution – work health and safety – duty of persons undertaking business – duty of employers – risk of death or serious injury – death of worker CRIMINAL PROCEDURE – pleadings – particularisation – case shift – danger of prejudice to defendant WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY – whether pleaded measures reasonably practicable – whether reliance on specialist contractor reasonable – whether cessation of work reasonably practicable – safety management system – objective knowledge of defendant OTHER – work at heights – brittle asbestos roof – specialist contractor engaged to undertake repairs – worker fell through roof – safety mesh – catch platform – job safety environmental analysis Legislation Cited: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 Work Health and Safety Regulation 2013 Cases Cited: Baiada Poultry Pty Ltd v R (2012) 246 CLR 92 Bulga Underground Operations v Nash [2016] NSWCCA 37 Carrington Slipways Pty Ltd v Callaghan (1985) 11 IR 467 Director of Public Prosecutions v Vibro-Pile (Aust) Pty Ltd [2016] VSCA 55 [3]-[6]. Dunlop Rubber Australia Ltd v Buckley (1952) 87 CLR 313 Genner Constructions Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2001] NSWIRComm 267 Hammersley Iron Pty Ltd v Robertson (unreported WASC 2 October 1998). Inspector Ching v Bros Bins Systems Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 197 John Holland Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales [2010] NSWCA 338 Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531 Kirwin v The Pilbara Infrastructure Pty Ltd [2012] WASC 99 Laing O'Rourke (BMC) Pty Ltd v Kirwin [2011] WASCA 117 Nash v Resource Pacific Pty Ltd (No 3) [2018] NSWSC 45 R v Board of Trustees of the Science Museum [1993] 1 WLR 1171 Royall v The Queen (1991) 172 CLR 378 Simpson Design and Associates Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 316 Slivak v Lurgi (Aust) Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 304 Smith v Broken Hill Pty Ltd (1957) 97 CLR 337 Tangerine Confectionery Ltd and Veolia ES (UK) Ltd v R [2011] EWCA Crim 2015 Thiess Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 78 NSWLR 94 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Kellogg (Aust) Pty Ltd [1999] NSWIRComm 453 WorkCover Authority of New South Wales v Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd (2004) 135 IR 166 WorkCover Authority of NSW v Atco Controls Pty Ltd (1998) 82 IR 80 Texts Cited: AS/NZS 4389.1996 'Safety Mesh' How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks 2011 Managing the Risk of Falls in the Workplace 2011 Safe Work on Roofs Code 2009 Work Health and Safety Consultation, Co-operation and Co-ordination Code 2011 Category: Principal judgment Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) The Austral Brick Co Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr B Docking (Prosecutor) Mr A Moses SC with Mr P Sharp (Defendant)