Birch v Workers' Compensation Board of Queensland [1995] ICQ 12 (1995) 149 QGIG 710

710 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETTE 130 June, 1995 ####################################################### QU l·.I 'SI.AN D I OUSTRl/\1. COURT WORKrns· C0!\ 11'1NS1\l"IOl\ ACT 1990 Industrial Relatmns Act I 990 ~- I IS(:; I - appeal from <.kcasion 1.1f indu,tnal mai;i>tratc l)ebrn Birch \ND Worker~· Clnnpcn,auon Boaid ol'Qu ecnsland (,\ u. C-J of I 995; Jl!S I ICE MACKF ZIE. PRF. !DE.NT 16 June 1995 15511 I.DOC 30 Jun e, 1995) Q UEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRlAL GAZETTE 711 Appeal - Occision of Industrial Magistrate Claim as l kpenJam Spouse or Deccru.ed Worker - <:ommem.:ed 11 days l'nor to Death - Whc:thcr ln_1u ry Occurred in th e (ou rs-: 01'1 :111pl1)y111cnt - ;-..;o l'\' idcnc<. by th,· E mp loyer of F.n co un1gcmcnt or lnd1 1ccrne n1 to Tra, d 10 Fmernld - Livi ng at On-Site Camp · Appeal Oi,miss::cl - N,) Ord~r a, to cu~t~. Jl if)(, :v1 I·.NT ll1i, is an appeal against a clcci,ion of an lndu,tri.il 'vlagi,trate refusing the ~p pell,u11 's claim as a de pendant spouse or th e ,.kccascd "orkcr on behalf or herself and her chi ldren. The dcccascd \\ or ker died on 7 Dcccm hcr 11)90. At thc time of hb dcath h.: ,,a~ cmploy1.xl al the G0rdonstone Coal \Jl in.: proj ect having commenced "urk there 11 da)S prior to his death . The famil) 's place ur residence \\as (iladstone but fo r the I I da} s of Iii:; c mp lo) 111e11t the th.:c.:a scd had resided in quai1er,; prov id ed clos..: to th<." minc s ite "hich " "-' approximately 53km north -ea~l of l: m..:rald and appro:-1ma 1el y 45km !,(luth-.:a;a ot Capella. ·111c deceased ,,orkcd on th e 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. sh itl on 6 IJ ecemb.:r 1990 and having n:tumed to the Ii, ing quarter., lefl short I> afterwards to trave l to Emerald. He had mentioned to 11 co-worker that he wa_., go in g to post a lctt.:r. The last occasion upon which the deceased "a s ,ccn al iv1: was at about I 1.15 p.m. al a hotel in Emerald. /\ l abou t 5. I 5 a.m. 011 7 December 1990 the d1:ccascd's bodJ w~ found m hi~ burnt uul vehicle which had apparent ly nm off the road to Capella. 111e police constable \\hO ancnded th e scene not lo ng allcr 5.30 ,1.111 . concluded that the fir c had occurred somc hour~ prior to his arri,-al. The b.:sl est imate. although impreci,c. w as that the deceased had died at abnut 2.30 a.m The Indu str ial M ;1~ i, tratc i11 a careful u nd enmprchc11s1ve dc ci,io11 on the mattcrs argued before him reached the conclusion that thc most probable intercnc1: "as that duc 111 unlamiharit) \\ith the hush road~ al nig.ht the deceased h.id taken a \\Tong tum and had lost hb " ay and had rt1n oil th e road. Th is lind i11 g \\as not cha ll enged at the hearing n l' appea l. Rc lim.: h1111 the Cll.'ie \\ a, ar~ued nn the basis thut the jo um cy "a.' • compensable journey hccaus.: of , 9(6) of the Wnr(tr ., • ( 'ompn1.,t1llon Act 1916. ll 1c Magi,lralc, correct!) in my view. ~on clud ..:d that 1m the evidence that pro\' ision was not applicable. ·1he appcllalll docs not now seek to chalk ngc that finding. I hi,,c,cr. although the issue "as not raised 111 the prncccdin gs before the Industrial Magistrate th e appcl lanl 110,1· st1h111its that th e claim , huuld ha ve been allo"cd hceaus..: thc death occum:d in th e wur,,.: ufthe employment of the deceased. It \\aS submiucd that as nu ~aus.il cnnncction "as required bet"een the accident and the cmrlo~ mcnt the ,swe \\'as wh<.!thcr the death oct:um.:d while the wo1kcr -.1;1., dl> in g someth ing wh kh wa, an incident ofh1s employment. It"" ~ , uhmincd that ha, ing reg.ard to , arious findm g~ of fact m,1Jc hy th.: t-.lagi strau:. it was an 111cidcnl of li,ing Jl th<: 011-s itc camp that the '") rktr l\ Ot dd 11 el!d to make occas ional trip, in Fmcrald in order t<• att~nJ to matter.; which a workcr li\'ing in a remote ca mp needed to attend to. ·11 1.: moch.:m approach to i11,1ur ic s alleged to hav.:: occurrcd " in th e C[)IJViC of cmplo} menl" is to b<: fo und in llc11;i111a1wlt.1 ,. ; I.\'/ Corμora1t011 f.td ( 19 92) 173 Cl R 473. , \Iler con,,Jcring earlier authorities the joint judl_tmcnl ol the Hi gh Court Mason Cl. llcan1: Da"~on and Mel lu gh JJ . S3)S :- "A ~l ri king fc,1turc of the recent ea~cs which ha\C he ld that an in,iul) occurr111g in m1 intcnal between periods of actual \\Ork \\,b "11h111 the course of emp lnymcnt is that 1n almost al I of them the cm pl o}e r h,t.~ autho ri sed. cncouragcd or p .: m,illcd tJ1c e mployee to spend hi s time du ri ng that intcn al at a particular place or III a pan1cular wa~ . I lo"e,cr. Jl \\Ould he an unacceptable extension ot the co ur,e ol employment lo hold that an employee "as within the ,111irsc or cmplo) mcnt whc nc1 ·e r the emp loyer had authori,cd. 15 376 1-55 cncvurnged or pcnniued the employee to ~pe nd the umc during an intei- al bct"ecn periods of actua l work at a pa mcu hu place or in <1 pani cular way .". Aller ,)bscn · in g that the di st111ction bc t" cen compcn~able ano noncompcnsable injuries sustained by an ordinal') cmplo)'CC after the da} 's work has ceased lies not so much in the em ployer's attitude to the "a)' the in terval bctwecn per iods of actual work b spent hut in th e characteri,a ti on of the period or pe ri ods of work of thosc cmplo}ec:; the judgment cominu.:, :- "For 1hc purposes of workers' C(>mpensatio n law. an inj ury is more read ii) ~ccn a~ occurring in the course of employment when it has b<..'<!n sustained in an intcn al or interlude occurring within an m crall period or episode of \\ Ork than \\ hen it has been sustained in thc interval between two dis~retc periods of work . Whe re an cmp lo~cc pcrlonn, his or hcr \\(>rk ma pe nnancnt locat ion or in a pcnnnmmt loc.iltt~. thcrc is u,uall) little dilliculty in idcmifying the period between the dail> stan ing and finishing points a.~ a <lbcrcLc work ing pcriod. A tea break or lunch break within such a period occurs a5 an intcrluue or interval wi thin an O\'erall work period. Something done during such a break is more rcadil) seen as done in the course of emplO) mem than so meU1ing U1at is done afkr a daily period of work has been completed and the em ployee has rctumed to hi ~ or her home. On the ot her hand. there arc cas.:s where an emplo)CC is ~ qu1red to embark upon some undertaking for the purpose of his or her work in circum~tances where. notwithstanding th:it it extends over a numh cr of dai ly periods of actual work. th e who le period o f unde rtaking constitutes an overa ll period or episode of \\Ork. Wherc. for example, ... an employee is rcquirccl to go to a remote pi.ice and li,e in accommodation rn, v1dcd by hi s or her employer for the limited 1ime until u particu lar unde rt aking is cuniplcted . the correct conclusion is likel y to h..: that the timc spent in the new locality constitute~ one overnll pcnod or episode or \\Ork r.,thcr than a series of discrl!te periods or ep1,odes o f \\ Or k. /\n inju ry ,,ccurring during the interval between period~ o f actual work in such a case is more n:ad il)· perce ived ,is being within the current conception of thc course o r employment than an inJury occu rri ng aficr ordinal') \\O rking hours to an employee ,~h Cl per fo nns his or her work at a p..:nnancnt loc ation nr in a pcnn ,111cnt loca li ty.". ·111c judgmcnt then gll<:li (lll tu ,tat.: lhdt:- " . an 11 Hc n ·al or 11ttcrlude in an o,-c ra ll period or epi sode of work "i ll ordi nar il ) be ,ccn a~ hcing pan of the course of cmploymenl 1f thc cmplo)er. c,pn:ssl ~ or unplicdly. has mduc:cd or encournged the cmplO) t:c to ,pc nd the int cn•al or interlude at a particular pla.x or in a pa11icL1lar way. ... it ~hould no" be accepted 1h a1 an intcn·:il or interlude "ithin an o,·crall pe ri od or episode of work occurs wi thin the co urse of e 111p lo)m ent if. ex pressly or imp liedly. th <.: cmplo}cr has induced nr eneourag.ecl the employee lo spend that intcrval or interlude nt a particular place or in a particular \\3) Furth~nnorc. an injul) su~tJ 1ncd in ~ueh an intcn al \\ ill b.:: wnhin the course of cmployn 1c nt 1f it occurred at that place or while the employ~c w~ engaged in that activity un less the crnploycc was guilty of gro s~ mi~eunduct taking him or her mus idc the course of employment. In Jctcnnin ing. "hc thcr the injury occurred in the course of cmploymcnL rcgard must always be h ~d to the i;cncral nature. terms und c ircumstances of 1hc employm~nl 'a nd not merely to the ci rcumstances l•i' the particular occasion out of which the injury to the cmpln)•t!C has arisen'.". Toohcy J. sa id that once the phnt.~e "in the course or e mp loyment" ,s u-eatcd as capable or extending 10 in3uncs sust ai ned by an cmplo)cc who is not actually pcrfonning his or her \\Ork there 1s a need lo identify so me controlling principle. Alter referring to the air nf Hnrcal it) in t1,ing th e "ord, "in order to carry nut his dutie s" in ca:;t:s 15511_1.00C -- 1 of 2 -- ► 71 2 Q UEEN S LA D GO VERNMENT INDUST RIAL GAZET TE [ 30 J un e, l 995 wh en: the "mk cr is injun:d ''in an 1nlcl"\ al \\ hen labour i, su,pcmkJ" he ,aid· In , ic" <' f th i, conclu~1on. LIii..' app~al 111ust he J1,mis sc<l I make 110 order ns Ill co~t~. "1 lo wc, er. ii th t: "or\..cr i, then doing ,,omcthing \\1111.:h he llf ,he.: i, rcqu1rc.:d or .:,pcctcJ to dn b~ the emplo)Cr. thc <Alll ncct ion " 1th the perfnm1ancc of dutie~ \\ ill u,u ,111) be apparent . II thc \\on.er" doing ~(11n~thing which he or ~he 1, mcrd} aulhon,ed 10 do. an~ connection "i th the perfo nnancc of duucs ma) be 1cm 1ou;-.. ·111<: connectinn ma~ be no 1Tl(lrc than that the cmplO)Cr has authori,cJ \\hat the " orkcr is duing 111 the inter"al as part of go(id indu,irial n:latinns bct\\ccn the pa ni c, . l!\erthclc,s. I \\ l>uld retain lhc \\ \irds 'in ordcr to c~ out h•~ d1111c,'. "hatc,cr their 1111pcrti:cti ons ·1v chminutc them. "ithout ,uh-,111u1ing '<llllCtlum! in their place. tends to rcmo, c an~ connection witl1 thc cmp lo~ mcnt I hi\ i, p3rtkularl~ ,u it' thc 1cm11111>h'!.!) 'rc4u1rcJ. c~pccted or authori<ed' b broad.:ncd ll\ include ·,111,",cJ' or App,:ar,mcv., - M, l'. M Johnson ( instructed by the C rom1 Sohc 1lor) tor D. J11r ch ;, lr r> . I <>Ill,! (ins1ructcd b~ C I\ SciacCJ & A~m;iatc,) for the W,,r~crs· (.'0 111 pcns auo11 l\,1ard ol l) u cen, land. · pcnnincd'.". I le al!rccd " ith the d1,1inc1ion in the joint judl!,mcnt hct"'--en ,ivcrall and d1~cn:1c p<.:riod~ of "1,r\.. and ,aid - "An employer is more li \..cl) to h<: hdd to ha,e n:quin:d, c,ix.-.:tcd or authon~cd a \\ (lrkcr 10 do somcthmg rckvant to the Cilll') ing t> ut of hi~ or her duties during ,111 in1cn al in dll o, ·crall p.:11od of" o r\.. than in an intcrval between d bcrcte p<.:riods of' '"1rk.' • Mr Murdoch for th.: appellant rch<!J on 8altlies 1·. Worker.( Co1t1pt.•11w1inn Bm,rd nf ()11eemlcmcl ( I 984 ) 29 \\'CRQ 3Ti m "I nch Manhc" s P. held that "hc rc 11 "a~ "ncccs,,a~ 111 a practical ,cn~c li1r the Jppcllan110 II\ con the job" 111 a forest!) camp and it "a" 111rnkntal to the \\Orkcr', cmpln} mcnt In u:,,C hi, motor , ..:h,ch.: a, a mcan~ of coll\ C} anC'-' In and from th, ca11 1p. un inju~ ,u fti:r.:d when he ldl lwm ,1 r.unp at the c amp \\h1lc ,;cn1cing lhc \Chick (\\h1ch ,1c11,i1~ wa, .:xpr,,;,,l~ or tacitly consented to b) hi, ,upcrior.,) "a" .u, 111,1ur;- s ul1cn."d I ll th e course 11 f ..:111plo)mCnl It \\.IS ,ubm11tcJ that b) analug) ,, ith Bu/1/,e., the d.:ath 111 the "'ork cr in th 1> ca'>C ,x:currcd in the cuuN: ,,f 1:mploymcnt II ""' ,ubmincJ 1h,11 th.: lndu,tnJI M,1ii, 1ra1c had lound that on-,itc 1e,,1dcnl'C "a ' an "incident ol cmpln) men\". It \\,b ,ub1mllcd th,11 the need tn 1r.1H:I 111 l.mcrah.l frorn timc to 111111: 111 tran,Jct lin,mciJI ,inJ othcr bu,mc~, . h> po,1 kncr.. .md make 1dcphonc ca ll\ ,m<l 10 cn10) rnt..:rtainm.:nl anJ r.:crcation wa:.. , ull11.:1c111 tu bnng. m 10 pla) the not inn that an inJU~ du11ng ,uch .i Jtl\lffiC} nL,umng 111 an intcn .ii bCl\>C\!11 pcnc11.b o f <1ctuJI wor\.. \Hl, "1thin the , .. nee pt ol th..: ,:(iur,.: nl cmplo~111<.:111 the .:, 1dcnc, docs 1101 ,u~gc~t that there wa.< ,Ill) pm1ti1 c cnuiurJgetnrnt vr inducement to the emph•}c,: to go to I mcr,:ld lf\1111 time to lime Such C\ldcncc .is there \\a, 1' t11 the cllcc1 tlrnL ,L, 1hc l n<lu stna l Magistrate found. tl1crc "a.' a td.:phunc ,11 the camp no1\,1th,1anding the ,ug.ge~uon to th.: c11 11tr,11: 111 J lc11 a " Tin.:n h) th..: dc cc~c d. that tl1cre \\(L, a m.i1I ~en 1cc h) m1:an, 11f ,1 pm .itc m,1i l ha:,!, ,tn d that r1:crc:a110 11 facili11c~ 111cluding tennis court. 1.1blc 11.:nni, tablc. pool tahlc. g} 111na~1um Jlld \\Cl cant~-cn wcrc pnn 1Jcd. l·u1thcr unl 1l- c tl1c ,i1uu11on 111 l/01;111"1111Jlis the \,nr\..placc \\a,, nut ~11 rcnmtc ,h 1,, rc411 1rc the ~mp lO} er IP addrc" the quc~tinn of domi; 111..rc than "a' donc IC\ cn~urc thJ t cmplo~ c..:, had adcqualc \\ a~ s of 01.cu[l) 11111 th~ir timc hct"c.:n ~hilh Op.:mt".: Date· NIA .lud~m.:nt l>chra J11rd1 Jnd \\on-en.' (.omp.:n,-.i11011 Bo,ird of ()l1CCl1'l.111d R.:lca,cd: I 6 .lune I 995 llllilllllllll#ll# ll# #ll# il # tl# ##ll ll ##ll###ll#ll# lf#ll ll #ll #ll#llll## /1 ## 1/tl#lltl# R.:1m:11.1bl). ,incc the c.isc i, one "h.:rc <•nc mu,1 1i:d '}mp,1tl1) ll>r tlic appcll,u11. the conclu,i1>11 c,mnut he n:ad1cd that tl1, rcl.:, .1111 pr111 cipl~~ rnn hc ,tre tchcd 10 aci:um1111idJIC !In~ 1.,1.>c e, en aJoptml! thc 1tt:,cral appro,tch "!11.ch ~hould he applied 1n thl!,c ea,.:, . The ca.w " nnt <lircctl~ anat,,gou, witl1 Bolt/re, hccJu,.:: thc und.:rt.i\..in,; nl th~ ,np 10 E111cra ld in th~ prc,cnt ca.~c ha~ ,1gnilic.111tl~ lc,s rclJt1on,h1p 10 the cmpl{•~ mcnt than the ~en 11:11,g of the car III ordcr for thi: appellant to tra,d had.wards anJ fon,ard, tu the camp m Hultlr<'s case 11lcr1: 1, 11,1 .;\ldcncc <• I' any mput h) the cmplo)Cr h) "a~ ,1f cncour.igcmc111. 111duccmcnt or CH:n k ntm lcd!;C oflhc m,1!..111!). of .1 tnp tu I mcrJltl. 30 J un e, 199 5] QUEEi SLAN D GOVE RNMENT JNDUST Rl AL GAZ ETTE 713 -- 2 of 2 --