Fatigue Management System Failure – Manager Jailed After Four Death

An Operations Manager at Connect Logistics Pty Ltd, Cris Large, was sentenced to 3 years in jail after four deaths at work. In April 2020, Mohinder Singh was driving a Connect Logistics truck and fell asleep at the wheel, consequently killing four police officers. The NSW Downing Centre Local Court Magistrate, Daniel Reiss, deemed Large’s conduct as “deceitful and deliberate”. The deaths could have been avoided had there been readily available measures at Connect Logistics. It is imperative that employers who operate heavy vehicles review their fatigue management systems to ensure such instances are avoided.
 
After a six-week trial, Large was found guilty of a category-1 breach of NSW’s version of the Heavy Vehicle National Law. In the seven months leading up to the case, it was found that 40% of the shifts at Connect Logistics had at least one fatigue-related breach. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator stressed that fatigue management is crucial for not only the employees but also the general public. The NHVR conducted compliance actions against 207 heavy vehicles within a period of one month. Of the 207 heavy vehicles, 129 exceeded their allowable work hours and not taking sufficient rest breaks.