Newsletter
Q1 - 2021 Jan-Mar.
# Belgian backpacker dies of heat
stress
# Appeal dismissed after Rugby player injured with unlawful
tackle.
..................................................................................
Belgian backpacker dies of heat stress
An Australian employer has been
fined over the death of a Belgian backpacker who collapsed from heat stress while working on a farm picking
fruit.
Olivier Max Caramin, 27, died in a
Queensland hospital in November 2017 after just three days on the job.
His employer, Bradford Clark
Rosten, pleaded guilty to breaking labour laws. He was fined A$65, but avoided a conviction.
Mr Caramin had hoped do that by
working on the farm in Ayr, a town in tropical northern Queensland.
On the day of his collapse, he had
been picking pumpkins for hours in 35C heat with no shade.
Local media reported that Mr
Caramin had told co-workers he was struggling, but they were told to keep picking to meet a
quota.
The Townsville Magistrates Court
found Mr Rosten - who ran a labour-hire company - failed to provide proper safety training to his
workers.
An earlier investigation by
Queensland's workplace regulator found that workers had been provided with inadequate health information and
ill-considered conditions.
October 2020
Appeal dismissed after Rugby player injured with unlawful
tackle.
The NSW Court of Appeal has dismissed an
appeal from Berkley Vale Rugby League Club (BVR) player Michael Dickson who suffered serious facial
injuries after Northern Lakes Rugby League Sport & Recreation Club (NLR) player Brendan
Fletcher performed an ‘unlawful’ tackle on him during a rugby league
match.
The decision, handed down on 18
November 2020, confirms that a claim arising out of contact sport will likely fall within the parameters of
the Civil Liability Act
2002 (Cth) (CLA) unless it can be established that the international act
was intended to cause injury[1].
Further, in most contact sport cases, the Dangerous Recreational Activity defence in the CLA will provide
protection to associations/clubs and their insurers.
Dickson had possession of the ball, and
Fletcher attempted to complete a tackle called a ‘leg hook’ on Dickson. Fletcher lost control of the tackle and
instead executed was an unlawful ‘spear tackle‘, resulting in Dickson hitting his neck on the ground. Dickson
suffered significant head and facial injuries. Fletcher apologised and expressed concern for Dickson’s welfare.
Fletcher stayed with Dickson until first aid officials arrived.
Following the match, the tackle
was determined to be unlawful pursuant to NRL rules and Fletcher was charged and pleaded guilty to engaging in a
‘dangerous throw’ in a subsequent disciplinary hearing. Fletcher conceded that the tackle was intentional but
denied it was intended to cause injury to Dickson.
The Court of Appeal unanimously
dismissed the appeal.
Dec 2020
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