A committee that deals with the death of prisoners while in police custody, are embracing the charges WorkSafe set for the death of  Mr. Ward.

Mr. Ward is the elder Aboriginal who died from a heat stroke due to sweltering temperatures from within the prison van.

According to the coroner, the two drivers of the van, the driver’s employer, and the Department of Corrective Services are responsible for the death of Mr. Ward. Despite the coroner’s statement, the Direction of Public Prosecutions refused to pursue the case because he didn’t believe there was a chance of conviction.

The Deaths in Custody Watch Committee spokesperson gave a kudos to WorkSafe for their decision to prosecute and to carry out their duties in the support of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The WorkSafe WA commissioner stated that the case is a prime example of how far the occupational safety and health legislation extends.

The Attorney General has stated that he intends to follow the WorkSafe case very carefully to see if they provided a safe work environment. The Department of Crrective services  face a fine of $285,000 and $15,000 in legal costs. The potential fine was $400,000.
Source : http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/19/3116507.htm

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