In May 2021, an incident occurred at a residential demolition site in Watsonia North, where a company known as Nu Tech Demolition & Asbestos Removal was conducting work. A concerned member of the public believed that asbestos fibres were being released and promptly contacted WorkSafe.
Upon the arrival of a WorkSafe inspector, the offender, who happened to be the brother of Nu Tech's director, acted aggressively, and threatened the inspector with physical violence, displaying extremely hostile behaviour.
As a result, the inspector had to call the police for assistance, which led to the offender leaving the scene shortly after the police's arrival.
In response to his actions, the offender was sentenced to a 12-month Community Corrections Order with a conviction. He was also required to complete 75 hours of community work and pay a $1,000 fine.
The judge underscored the gravity of the offender's behaviour, emphasizing that WorkSafe inspectors are dedicated to safeguarding people's health and safety and deserve to be treated with respect. The judge did acknowledge that the offender showed some remorse but deemed the sentence appropriate.