On 20 October 2023, an electricity entity was sentenced in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court for breaching section 40C of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld) (‘the Act’), having failed to comply with its duty under section 29(1)(a) of the Act to ensure that its works were electrically safe, with the failure exposing an individual to a risk of serious injury or death.

On 13 October 2023 an agricultural business was fined $40,000 in the Dalby Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to three charges arising from breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) (‘the Act’). The defendant was charged with having breached section 32 of the Act, having failed to comply with their primary health and safety duty pursuant to section 19(1) of the Act, exposing an individual to a risk of death or serious injury. The defendant was further charged with failures to comply with sections 38(1) and 39(1) of the Act, being requirements to notify the regulator that a notifiable incident had occurred and to ensure that a notifiable incident site was not disturbed.

On 13 October 2023, a company which provided services involving cranes was sentenced in the Gympie Magistrates Court for breaching section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (‘the Act’), having failed to comply with its primary health and safety duty.

On 13 October 2023, a crane operator (‘the worker) was sentenced in the Gympie Magistrates Court for breaching section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (‘the Act’), having failed to comply with his duty to ensure that his acts did not adversely affect the health and safety of other individuals.

On 27 September 2023, a forklift operator in the role of manager/supervisor was sentenced in the Beenleigh Magistrates Court for failing to comply with his duty owed pursuant to section 28(b) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, breaching section 32 of the Act.

On 18 September 2023 a qualified electrician was fined $4,000 in the Southport Magistrates Court for two breaches of section 40C of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 (‘the Act’), having failed to comply with his electrical safety duties pursuant to sections 39(a) and 39(b) of the Act.

On 15 September 2023, a company that operated a business as a principal contractor of commercial construction projects was sentenced in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for breaching section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (‘the Act’), having failed to comply with its primary health and safety duty pursuant to section 19(1) of the Act.

On 5 September 2023, a scrap metal recycling company was sentenced in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court for failing to comply with a health and safety duty, and in doing so, exposing workers to a risk of death or serious injury.

On 8 September 2023, a worker was sentenced in the Gladstone Magistrates Court for breaching section 43 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (‘the Act’). The defendant was found guilty of performing work without the appropriate high risk work licence.

On 8 September 2023, in the Gympie Magistrates Court, a partner of a small concreting business pleaded guilty to a section 32 (Category 2) offence pursuant to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, having failed to discharge his primary health and safety duty pursuant to section 19(2). The defendant had failed to ensure that, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health and safety of other persons was not put at risk from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business. He was fined $80,000 and was ordered to pay $1601.40 in prosecution costs and filing fees. No conviction was recorded.