Worksafe cyclone appeal rejected

Worksafe cyclone appeal rejected

March 23, 2012

Western Australia's work safety watchdog has lost its appeal against the dismissal of charges that Fortescue Metals Group failed to provide a safe workplace at a Pilbara rail camp during Cyclone George in 2007.

WorkSafe WA's appeal was dismissed in the Supreme Court in Perth on Friday.

Fortescue and its subsidiary, the Pilbara Infrastructure (TPI), were cleared in the Perth Magistrates Court in February last year of a combined 18 charges of failing to provide or maintain a safe workplace.

The charges were laid after category-five Cyclone George tore through a Pilbara rail construction camp in the early hours of March 9, 2007.

The cyclone killed Perth mother of two Debra Till, 47, who was a kitchen hand at the camp, and Craig Allan Raabe, 42, of Gympie in Queensland, a catering company employee.

Four other companies involved in the rail camp have had WorkSafe charges against them dropped or successfully appealed convictions.

In court on Friday the question of costs was reserved.