Browsing: WHS legislation, regulations, standards and codes (QLD) | Page 22

Safety concerns raised about Queensland deregulation committee; and Essential safety news from around Australia.

The Queensland Government has hinted, ahead of roundtable discussion with industry groups, that it will trust businesses to "do the right thing" on OHS under a less prescriptive WHS Act. It has also "streamlined" health and safety laws for the mining sector.

Queensland has warned it will not adopt model WHS laws for its mining sector "for the sake of administrative harmonisation", and is pushing, instead, to augment its current legislation with provisions of the National Mine Safety Framework.

Queensland Code of Practice breach led to fatality; Third employer fined heavily for Melbourne scaffold collapse; Regulators investigating gate death and third excavator incident; and Essential safety news from ACT, NSW and WA.

Employers that rely on safe-lifting training to control the risks associated with manual tasks could be in breach of safety laws, Queensland's OHS regulator has warned.

The CFMEU's claim that it should organise elections for safety representatives at a Queensland mine - to ensure representatives' independence - was not supported by the "inadequately drafted" provisions of the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act, the Supreme Court has found.

Queensland could follow Victoria's lead and introduce jail terms for workplace bullies, the State Industrial Relations Minister has hinted in announcing the establishment of a special reference group to examine the issue.

Employers fined for ignoring Codes of Practice; Safety reviews urged after three horror incidents in 24 hours; OHS prosecutions to be fast-tracked in Victorian blitz; and South Australia offers $412K in OHS research grants.

Queensland is "leading the way" on harmonisation, after its Parliament yesterday became Australia's first to pass a Work Health and Safety Bill.

Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick has introduced a model Work Health and Safety Bill to Parliament, but a Brisbane lawyer has questioned Dick's claim that harmonisation will reduce red tape for employers.