SafeWork NSW v Poletti Corporation Pty Ltd [2019] NSWDC 491

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v Poletti Corporation Pty Ltd [2019] NSWDC 491 Hearing dates: 12-16 August 2019; 19-22 August 2019; 30 August 2019 Date of orders: 13 September 2019 Decision date: 13 September 2019 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Scotting DCJ Decision: 1 The prosecution has proved all of the elements of the offence beyond reasonable doubt. 2 I find the defendant guilty. Catchwords: CRIME – prosecution – work health and safety – duty of persons undertaking business – duty of PCBU to other persons – risk of death or serious injury – injury of worker

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY – fall from height - likelihood of risk occurring – whether defendant had knowledge of risk - whether risk reasonably foreseeable – reasonable practicable – fall prevention - control measures – relevance of Australian Standard – provision of work platforms and edge protection - causation Legislation Cited: 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 The Queen (2012) 246 CLR 92 Bulga Underground Operations v Nash [2016] NSWCCA 37 Carrington Slipways Pty Ltd v Callaghan (1985) 11 IR 467 Collins v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1986) 5 NSWLR 209 Director of Public Prosecutions v JCS Fabrications Pty Ltd and JMAL Group Pty Ltd [2019] VSCA 50 Director of Public Prosecutions v Vibro-Pile (Aust) Pty Ltd (2016) 49 VR 676 Dunlop Rubber Australia Ltd v Buckley (1952) 87 CLR 313 Genner Constructions Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2001] NSWIRComm 267 Inspector Ching v Bros Bins Systems Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIRComm 197 Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531 Laing O'Rourke (BMC) Pty Ltd v Kirwin [2011] WASCA 117 Laing O'Rourke (BMC) Pty Ltd v Kirwin [2011] WASCA 117 MR & RC Smith Pty Limited trading as Ultra Tune (Osborne Park) v Wyatt (No 2) [2012] WASCA 110 Qantas Airways Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2008] NSWSC 1049 R v Board of Trustees of the Science Museum [1993] 1 WLR 1171 R v Commercial Industrial Construction Group Pty Ltd (2006) 14 VR 321 R v Nelson Group Services (Maintenance) Ltd [1998] 4 All ER 332 Royall v The Queen (1991) 172 CLR 378 S Kidman & Co Ltd v Dr John Lowndes CM and Director of Public Prosecutions (NT) [2016] NTCA 5 SafeWork New South Wales v Rawson Homes Pty Ltd [2016] NSWDC 237 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 Proprietary Company 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 (Inspector Mulder) v Arbor Products International (Australia) Pty Limited [2000] NSWIRComm 12 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: Formwork Code of Practice 1998 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Department of Customer Service (Prosecutor) Poletti Corporation Pty Limited (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Magee (Prosecutor) B Barry (Defendant)