Paraway Pastoral Company Limited

On 3 December 2021, a worker was unloading cattle from the upper deck of a cattle truck. The worker was walking along the catwalk to move the cattle when he stepped on a steel bolt, causing electricity to arc across from the power lines, through the steel knob in the baseball cap he was wearing and out through his foot. The worker sustained electrical burn injuries and fell 1.64m into the trailer, sustaining further injuries.

Alleged breach

Paraway Pastoral Company Limited (Paraway) contravened section 19(1) and 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

Summary of undertaking

Activities Paraway will undertake include:

  • upgrade Paraway’s contractor management system including creation of a contractor resource hub, which will be available on Paraway’s website for use across the agricultural industry
  • host an industry event/workshops to share WHS information and lessons learned
  • conduct a targeted audit of Paraway’s new contractor management system
  • engage a third party expert to conduct an independent review, ensuring that psychosocial risks and hazards in the workplace are identified and effectively managed.

This undertaking has a total expenditure of $1,140,000.

Reasons for accepting undertaking

  • The alleged contravention does not appear to be a section 31 Reckless conduct category 1 offence, which if it was the case, would preclude the proposed undertaking from being accepted
  • The nature of the alleged contravention and the actions taken by Paraway in response to the incident are assessed as being appropriate for consideration of an undertaking
  • The strategies proposed in the undertaking have been assessed as likely to deliver long term sustainable safety improvements in the workplace, industry and community
  • The undertaking addresses the requirements contained within the “Enforceable Undertakings – Guidelines for Proposing a WHS Undertaking”.

Date accepted:

14 November 2024

Further information

View the full Paraway Pastoral Company Ltd undertaking (PDF, 14790.59 KB).

If you are not able to access the information in this PDF we can make alternative arrangements for you. Please contact enforceable.undertakings@safework.nsw.gov.au.

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