A reckless conduct charge against the operator of a Longford abattoir has been dismissed.
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JBS Australia Pty Ltd, the biggest meat processing company in the country, was accused of one count of reckless conduct Category 1, following an incident at its processing facility in 2016, which saw an employee sustain burns to both of his legs.
The company pleaded not guilty to the charge.
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Of the three charges facing JBS, the reckless conduct charge was the most serious, relating to a duty holder recklessly exposing a person to risk of death or serious injury.
In the Launceston Magistrates Court on Thursday, counsel representing JBS and the complainant appeared in a hearing via the video conferencing platform Zoom. The complainant, meanwhile, was physically present in the court room.
Magistrate Simon Brown said he would be dismissing the reckless conduct charge because he wasn't satisfied "on the evidentiary paths".
Mr Brown prepared a written decision running 14 pages, laying out his reasoning for dismissing the charge. He made it available to the two parties. It is to be published online at a later date.
Meanwhile, JBS has pleaded guilty to one count of failure to comply with health and safety duty Category 2 and one count of duty to consult workers.
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012, these two charges carry a total maximum financial penalty of $1.6 million.
The company was allowed two months to prepare further submissions for the court. Facts, sentence and plea mitigation will be heard in the Magistrates Court on September 23.
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