One part of his claim failed - the part that survived is the lesson for employers
A worker's fear of radioactive contamination - even an irrational one - can support a compensable mental injury, the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory held.
The decision, handed down on July 1, 2026, also shows how quickly a psychological-injury claim can unravel when the medical opinion behind it rests on events a court finds never happened.
The case involved a heavy machinery operator placed by labour-hire firm CGH Group Pty Ltd, trading as Corestaff, on closure and rehabilitation work at the Ranger Uranium Mine in Jabiru. His role included removing contaminated mud from the mine's former tailings dam.
After a shift cleaning mud-covered trucks in October 2021, he reported symptoms he attributed to radiation exposure and did not return to work. His first claim, for physical injury, was rejected by the employer. A second claim, for mental injury he linked to alleged bullying and harassment, was rejected too. He took both to the Work Health Court, which found in June 2025 that he had suffered a mental injury from his employment and ordered the employer to pay compensation for total incapacity from October 20, 2021, plus interest and reasonable medical and rehabilitation costs.
The trial court reached that result on two separate threads. It found the worker "honestly felt harassed" by a supervisor's direct, abrupt manner and by radio calls telling him to reposition his truck. It also...
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