Central Safety Group Melbourne

May 2020

A very public tragedy – but who is really responsible?

Presentation by: Sue Bottrell, Lawyer, Contractor Safe

Welcome to the second in a series of videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.

This presentation should not be missed by anyone responsible for safety and risk management in transport, logistics or supply chain operations. In an incident that sent shockwaves through the community, four Victorian police officers parked beside Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway were killed when hit by a truck on 22 April this year.
When looking at who is potentially liable for prosecution for the incident, lawyer and safety specialist Sue Bottrell has some interesting answers. Sue says a range of regulations and several prosecuting bodies, including WorkSafe Victoria, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and Police, could potentially become involved. They could commence prosecutions of the truck driver and others, including the transport operator who employed the driver, under the WHS regulation, Heavy Vehicle National Law and Criminal law.

The presenter:

Sue Bottrell has worked in occupational health and safety and workers compensation rehabilitation for the past 20 years. Sue has postgraduate qualifications in OHS and law, and is a practising lawyer in safety and employment law. She was the first safety professional in Australia to become a Certified Chartered Generalist OHS Professional Member of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety. She is a specialist in the legal and safety aspects of the management of contractor safety, and regularly speaks and publishes on this topic and acts as an expert witness. Sue is also a specialist in the application of the National Heavy Vehicle Law under Chain of Responsibility obligations. She is the AIHS representative for the current review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law being undertaken by the National Transport Commission.