Businesses and public authorities covered by the Commonwealth jurisdiction's WHS laws could soon face the toughest WHS penalties in the country, under a major amendment Bill that will also introduce presumptive workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder.
A worker who felt undue pressure to perform tasks beyond her work restrictions, after her post-surgery return-to-work plan was not communicated to management, has successfully argued she has compensable a psychological injury.
The Department of Defence breached WHS laws by failing to prohibit workers from swimming in crocodile-inhabited waters, in the lead up to two soldiers being attacked by a 2.5-metre saltwater crocodile, a prosecutor has alleged.
A Defence member who fell from a ladder while working has been denied compensation for the aggravation of his vertigo-related disease, with a tribunal ruling it could not be classified as a "service disease".
A worker who told a meeting he would "slit" the throat of a colleague if he was forced to work with him again, has been denied compensation for a psychological injury, after a tribunal found his condition was aggravated by reasonable administrative action taken in respect of the threat.