Published: 29 Nov 2011
A Victorian Court has rejected an appeal by Patrick Stevedoring against its $180,000 fine and conviction for workplace health and safety breaches.
The judgement in the Victorian Supreme Court was handed down last week.
It followed an earlier case in the Victorian Magistrates Court last January, where the company was convicted of discriminating against a worker under Section 76 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.
WorkSafe's prosecution related to several incidents in 2007 during which a stevedore, also a health and safety representative, received warning letters, was stood down and threatened with dismissal after raising concerns about a means of lifting loads of steel.
Patrick Stevedoring pleaded not guilty to the three charges and appealed the original verdict of magistrate Rosemary Carlin made in January.
In handing down sentence at the time, Magistrate Carlin said "serious instances of discriminating behaviour" had occurred.
- By David Sexton - www.lldcn.com.au
