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ARTICLE · 09 SEPTEMBER 2019

Woolworths escapes prosecution after loading dock tragedy

Cooper Grace Ward
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WorkSafe has announced that it would accept Woolworths' bid to enter an Enforceable Undertaking in lieu of prosecution.

AustraliaEmployment and HR
Belinda Winter
Belinda Winter
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Woolworths has agreed to an Enforceable Undertaking (ET) with NT WorkSafe for an amount of $1.8 million after a man was run over and killed by a subcontractor's prime mover in October 2016 at the Hibiscus Shopping Centre.

On 8 August 2019, WorkSafe acting executive director Melissa Garde announced WorkSafe's decision to accept Woolworths' bid to enter an EU in lieu of prosecution.

Ms Garde stated that the EU was accepted as the new traffic management controls that are to be implemented by Woolworths went above what was required by WHS laws. She noted that shopping centres had high levels of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and the Hibiscus Shopping Centre's loading dock 'was routinely used as a short cut'.

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