The NSW Workers Compensation Commission has put HammondCare firmly on the hook for an injury to a laundry worker. HammondCare had launched an appeal against a previous finding of liability. Whilst it succeeded in having responsibility for a secondary psychological injury set aside, its compensatory obligations are not set in stone. Zbigniew Calka, who was born in Poland in 1957 came to Australia in 2006 and started work for HammondCare in its commercial laundry in 2010. His duties involved, amongst other things, loading and unloading industrial washing machines. Mr Claka suffered an abdominal and groin injury on 7 September 2012. He moved heavy wet laundry from one washing machine, placed it on a trolley, and loaded it into another machine. He then went to the “folding room” and began folding towels. He dropped a towel on the floor. While straightening, after picking up the towel, he felt a very sharp pain in the right side of his groin, which spread to the left side over the next hour. HammondCare’s insurer initially accepted the claim and paid voluntary compensation until 22 February 2013. It formally disputed liability in a s 74 notice dated 5 March 2013. Regrettably, as is often the case with s 74 notices prepared by insurers, that notice is virtually incomprehensible, said the NSW Workers Compensation Commission.
