A former chiropractor who runs an oxygen therapy clinic in Melbourne has appeared in court charged with safety breaches after a man died following treatment.
Malcolm Hooper, 57, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with a raft of offences after the death of a client who used a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber at the South Yarra Oxymed clinic in 2016.
Oxymed also faces nine charges which allege management failed to ensure a safe workplace about the time Craig Dawson died in April 2016.
One charge alleges in the two years before Mr Dawson's death, Oxymed recklessly engaged in conduct that placed people in danger of serious injury.
Hooper is accused of failing to notify workplace safety authorities about an incident at Oxymed's Chapel Street premises on April 6 that resulted in Mr Dawson requiring immediate medical treatment.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"Some of (the allegations) are about deficiencies in the operating procedures," magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg said on Tuesday.
"The issue here is about the knowledge of the accused in terms of the physical impediments of Craig Dawson, and then having what was required in terms of vigilance and supervision within the chambers."
The magistrate said many of the charges were not directly linked to Mr Dawson's death.
"Most of the charges do not relate to Mr Dawson, but failing to provide a safe workplace without risk," he said.
"The risk that is evidenced in the case of Mr Dawson."
However, some of the allegations are about the circumstances involving Mr Dawson "in terms of the time it takes to decompress the chambers", Mr Rozencwajg added.
Lawyers for Hooper say they will need time to go through the 8000-page brief of evidence.
The case is due to return to court for a further committal mention on November 29.
