Ardent Leisure Limited operated the Dreamworld Theme Park on the Gold Coast. On 25 October 2020, four guests on the Thunder River Rapids Ride at the park were fatally injured.

On 14 September 2020, an asbestos demolition worker pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Southport Magistrates Court for providing false and misleading information to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (‘WHSQ’) in contravention of section 268(1) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (‘the Act’). The defendant was fined $500 and no conviction was recorded.

On 11 September 2020, the defendant, a large concrete company pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for breaching s 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (the ‘Act’). The company failed to comply with its work health and safety duty under s 19(1) of the Act.

On 9 September 2020, the defendant company pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court for four offences against section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (‘the Act’), having failed to comply with its work health and safety duties under sections 19(1) and 19(2) of the Act, thereby exposing workers and others to risk of injury (on two separate occasions) from fall from height and falling objects.

On 8 September 2020, Oil Tech International Pty Ltd, a company which operated a waste liquid treatment facility at Yatala, was sentenced in the Beenleigh District Court. The defendant pleaded guilty to one offence of reckless conduct pursuant to s31 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (the ‘Act’),related to its duty under s 19(1) of the Act.

On 4 September 2020, a rental property owner pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Holland Park Magistrates Court for conducting electrical work without a licence in contravention of s. 55(1) of the Electrical Safety Act 2002.

On 4 September, a farmer pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Dalby Magistrates Court for breaching section 40C of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (‘the Act’), having failed to comply with his electrical safety duty under section 30 of the Act, exposing multiple persons to serious injuries from electrical shock. The defendant was fined $16,000 and no conviction was recorded. 

UNDER APPEAL

On 25 August 2020, the defendant company was sentenced in the Richlands Magistrates Court for breaching s 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (‘the Act’), having failed to meet their work health and safety duty under section 19(1) of the Act, to ensure the health and safety of their workers, so far as is reasonably practicable, and exposing a worker to a risk of death or serious injury. The defendant was fined $25,000. A conviction was recorded.

On 24 August 2020, a sheet metal fabrication business and its director pleaded guilty and were sentenced in the Beenleigh Magistrates Court for Category 2 offences under s 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (the ‘Act’). The defendants breached the safety duties they held under ss 19(1) and 27(1) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (the ‘Act’) respectively. The incident resulted in injuries to a 15-year-old child.

On 20 August 2020, a quarry supervisor pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Mackay Industrial Magistrates Court for breaching s 31 of the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act (‘the Act’), having failed to discharge his obligation under s. 36(2)(b) of the Act to ensure that the risk of injury to any person who was managed in the work and activities under his control, supervision or leadership, so that the risk was at an acceptable level. The defendant was convicted and fined $3,000. A conviction was not recorded.