UGL’s Mock Courtroom Experience

UGL put its team and service partners through LDN’s Mock Court experience to test how real-world safety decisions would stand up in court.

Chris Buxton, HSEQ Supervisor at UGL, spoke with LDN about why the program was introduced and the shift in understanding it created around personal liability and accountability.

When UGL brought its teams through LDN’s Mock Court experience, the goal was simple: make compliance real.

Chris Buxton, HSEQ Supervisor at UGL, oversees a workforce of roughly 300 people, including internal teams and service partners. UGL is a major Australian engineering and services company delivering and maintaining large-scale transport, energy and industrial infrastructure projects where high-risk work, complex environments and strict compliance obligations are part of daily operations.

UGL had identified a recurring risk area: permits. In particular, underground excavation permits and signoffs where responsibility could easily become routine. For Chris, the decision to run Mock Court was about reinforcing accountability and strengthening awareness before something went wrong.

“We wanted our internal team and our service partners to see what the reality would be in the event of a worst-case scenario – a serious incident or fatality,” Chris explained.

“If something goes wrong it can go horribly wrong, it can be life and death, so everyone needs to understand if they’re signing off on permits, they need to take full ownership.”

What the Mock Court experience involved

The Mock Court experience at UGL was built around a case involving an excavation striking live underground high-voltage electrical services, resulting in a worker fatality. The scenario followed the subsequent WorkSafe investigation and prosecution, examining how permits, supervision and safety systems were scrutinised in court after the incident.

The session began with a practical legal briefing explaining the relevant compliance obligations, due diligence responsibilities and the courtroom process.

Three volunteer UGL representatives appeared as witnesses, while two additional participants took on the roles of court officer and judge. These participants were given role-specific case briefings before the session so they understood the events from the perspective of the role they would play. Facilitators acting as prosecutor and defence counsel examined the witnesses, testing their permits, sign-offs and supervisory decisions under realistic courtroom examination.

The remainder of the group observed as routine site decisions and safety practices were tested in the courtroom, demonstrating how everyday decisions and behaviours can be examined in court following a serious incident.

The session concluded with a structured debrief, helping UGL and its contract partners identify practical improvements in documentation, supervision, contractor oversight and leadership accountability.

Understanding personal liability
One of the most significant shifts for UGL came from seeing how liability flows through an organisation and its service partners.

Chris said that “We’ve seen stronger engagement from our service partners and a deeper understanding of personal liability. People knew they had responsibilities, but they didn’t fully appreciate the level of personal exposure involved. The session clarified the legal process, including industrial manslaughter laws and the fact that leaders can be held personally accountable.”

“There were a few attempts to deflect with humour at first,” Chris noted. “But the reality set in quickly.”

The mock court format clarifies that responsibility does not stop at management. It extends through supervisors, frontline workers, permit holders, safety advisors and business owners.

A shift in behaviour
“I’ve definitely seen it making a difference. People are taking more ownership, and they understand the consequences of their actions.”

Chris said one permit coordinator who had taken part in the mock trial later acknowledged the shift herself. “She said, I kind of got it before – but after this session, I really get it.”

That shift from intellectual understanding to lived experience is what Chris believes makes the Mock Court format extremely effective. “You can tell people a million times, but until they see it and experience it in action, it doesn’t land in the same way.”

What was the impact?
From a business perspective, Chris sees multiple benefits.

• Greater engagement from service partners
• Clearer understanding of legal exposure
• Better awareness of due diligence obligations
• Stronger conversations about risk ownership

“The whole experience was extremely well done – very real. It was a reality check, and it’s been a conversation opener,” Chris reflected. “The team and our contract partners were also impressed with the level UGL goes to in educating and making people aware.”

Other participants described it as “an amazing experience” and “a real eye opener,” highlighting how powerfully the courtroom format brought accountability to life.

A clear message for other organisations
Chris believes UGL are better prepared than before to ensure everyone is taking the right actions, and his recommendation to other organisations considering the Mock Court Experience for their organisation?

“Definitely. Anyone signing off on permits or making safety-related decisions needs to understand the full liability and consequences of their actions.”