Relief for many small business owners in WHS review

Common sense has prevailed after industrial manslaughter offences were not widely adopted across the country, in a meeting of Australian Ministers for Work Health and Safety yesterday.

“The meeting of WHS Ministers yesterday in response to a review of the model WHS laws was well overdue,” ACCI’s Director of Safety Jennifer Low said.

“As a member of Safe Work Australia (SWA), ACCI has been actively engaged in the review process since it began in 2018 and we support a majority of the 34 recommendations made in the report and accompanying Decision Regulation Impact Statement.

“However, the industrial manslaughter provisions are wholly unnecessary due to existing criminal provisions and Category 1 penalties by which prosecutions can be made in the event of a workplace fatality.

“The rejection of an industrial manslaughter offence by some Ministers was a relief to the small business community. Nobody should die at work, but jailing ordinary business people for incidents over which they had no direct control is not the answer.”

“The recommendation was a departure from the risk-based framework for WHS offences that has to-date seen success through a reduction in serious injuries and fatalities over the last decade. There is no strong evidence base presented to warrant such a significant shift.”

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Source: Mirage News