Essendon Football Club charged by WorkSafe over 2012 supplements program

The Essendon Football Club has been charged by WorkSafe Victoria for breaching the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act over its handling of the 2012 supplements program.

The long-running Essendon supplements saga has taken a new twist with the Club facing two charges for breaches of the OHS Act of 2004.

Following a “comprehensive investigation”, WorkSafe has laid two charges for breaches of the Act on the Bombers, for “failing to provide and maintain for employees a working environment that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health”; and “failing to provide and maintain for employees a system of work that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health”.

The matter will now be heard in court.

The AFL has been cleared of breaching the Act.

Essendon’s supplements program prompted two years of investigations after which the 34 current and former players accused of using a banned substance were found not guilty by the AFL’s anti-doping tribunal in March this year.

WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) appealed that verdict and the Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear the case in Sydney in the week starting 16th November.

Sport scientist Stephen Dank was handed a lifetime ban by the AFL tribunal in June for his role in the affair. He indicated in July he would fight the ban.

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