Tennant Creek company pleads guilty over death of apprentice electrician
A TENNANT Creek company has pleaded guilty over the death of an apprentice electrician
Centralian Advocate
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A LACK of appropriate supervision led to the death of an electrical apprentice, a court has heard.
NT WorkSafe charged Dexter Barnes Electrical and its director Russell O’Donnell last year “for failures in the workplace which led to the death” of fourth-year apprentice electrician, Derick Suratin.
On Wednesday, Dexter Barnes Electrical (Ridem Pty Ltd) and O’Donnell pleaded guilty in Alice Springs Local Court to Fail To Comply With Health Safety Duty.
In February 2019 Mr Suratin and a third-year electrical apprentice were on the roof of the Tennant Creek Fire Station, working unsupervised on a live system.
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Mr Suratin was electrocuted when he touched a live wire and was unable to be revived.
The court heard neither party was wearing full prevention equipment when undertaking the work, there was no safety management system provided and no job safety analysis recorded, and there was no dedication of appropriate staff or general supervision.
Defence lawyer Ragni Mathur said prior to the prosecution Ridem Pty Ltd and O’Donnell implemented extensive safety measures.
“This is not a situation where the defence did a reckless indifference to the safety measure,” she said.
“They have taken this death on their watch very seriously. They have, through their actions, demonstrated real and genuine remorse of the loss of their employee.”
Ms Mathur said the company had implemented a safety adviser and a formalisation of toolbox meetings.
“Since the accident the toolbox meetings are now formalised … safety measures have all been implemented.”
She said they also committed to further staff training which saw a 767 per cent increase in cost, which was spent “in direct response to the accident … to ensure no accident of this occurs again while in their employment”.
“Many of the measures were implemented before the charging took place.
“Mr O’Donnell has done everything within his power to improve business systems so as to avoid what was a tragic death of one of this employees.”
Prosecution counsel Helena Blundell said the prosecution accepted the company had “got its house in order … in implementing a safe work system, however we note it’s now complying with the law”.
Judge Greg Borchers said he accepted the defence was of “good character” who contributed to the community positively.
The category 2 offence for failing to comply with Section 19 duties under the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 (the Act) carries a maximum penalty of $300,000 for an officer and $1,500,000 for a body corporate.
The mater was adjourned to February 2021.
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