District Court levied $750,000 fine on Camden Council over worker’s death

A New South Wales District Court has levied a fine of $750,000 on Camden Council following a worker’s death in 2018 while installing an irrigation pipe. 

A report carried out the HRD Australia states that the worker suffered a fatal injury when the pipe was being towed. According to the records, the accident occurred at Camden Bicentennial Equestrian Park in 2018, as the workers who were trying to move the pipe with a tractor were ‘untrained’.

After the complaint was filed, SafeWork NSW investigated the council and found that it breached the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and took it to the court. Thus, the Council was convicted by the Court.  

During the trial, the court stated that though the work involved fatal injury risks, the council “failed to implement safety systems or conduct a risk assessment for the project.” In the verdict, the court also stated that neither the worker who died nor the assigned supervisor was qualified for the assignment. 

Commenting on the incident, NSW SafeWork executive director of investigations and enforcement Rick Bultitude said “Organisations who have workers have work, health and safety duties and obligations not just to paid staff, but also for any volunteers they engage. The person conducting a business is required to ensure an adequate risk assessment is conducted for work undertaken, and ensure appropriate information and instruction is provided to any volunteers.”