Finding into death of Anuruddha Bandara Abeysinghe
Deceased
Anuruddha Bandara Abeysinghe
Demographics
51y, male
Date of death
2020-07-28
Finding date
2023-08-14
Cause of death
asphyxiation due to diffusion of exhaust fumes into a car
AI-generated summary
A 51-year-old man died by suicide following workplace termination. After being stood down for attending work alcohol-affected on 17 July 2020, Mr Abeysinghe expressed suicidal intent to colleagues on multiple occasions. Despite union intervention urging reconsideration and highlighting mental health concerns, he was terminated on 27 July 2020. He died by exhaust asphyxiation the following morning. The coroner found the termination breached the Enterprise Agreement's rehabilitative drug and alcohol policy and was disproportionate given available alternatives (including the employee's own offer of regular breathalyser testing). Had the EA's procedures been followed, death would very likely have been prevented. Key lesson: alcohol-related workplace incidents require health-focused, graduated responses with mental health awareness rather than hasty termination, particularly when the employee actively seeks help and expresses suicidal ideation.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Drugs involved
Contributing factors
- workplace termination
- alcohol dependency
- marital relationship breakdown and pending divorce
- expressed suicidal ideation not acted upon by employer
- failure to follow Enterprise Agreement disciplinary and drug/alcohol procedures
- disproportionate disciplinary response
Coroner's recommendations
- Oceania Glass Pty Ltd should review the incident and explore ways to ensure that all relevant managerial staff are familiar with the Enterprise Agreement, particularly to ensure adherence to the disciplinary procedures and drug and alcohol guidelines
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