Browsing: WHS Harmonisation (ACT) | Page 2

A recent safety prosecution involving a liquidated company, and the first person charged as an "officer" under the harmonised WHS laws, has highlighted one of the main reasons the officer provisions were included in the new legislation, according to a regulator.

The final quarter of 2014 was a busy three months for workplace health and safety and workers' compensation, with major legislative changes and other developments in all jurisdictions. What did you miss?

New safety laws have taken effect in most jurisdictions this month, while some planned regulations have been scrapped.

An employer will spend $625,000 on a web-based induction platform and other safety initiatives as part of the first enforceable undertaking accepted under the ACT's mirror WHS Act.

• Unions step up defence of asbestos lump sum payments; and
  
• ACT adopts model WHS asbestos laws and additional provisions.

The inadvertent use of asbestos-containing materials is likely to increase as employers turn to the internet to source cheaper materials, according to the ACT Work Safety Commissioner, who has also outlined measures being put in place to ensure the safe demolition of more than 1000 "Mr Fluffy" buildings.

In this update, OHS Alert examines the most important workplace safety and workers' comp news from the third quarter of 2014, including Safe Work Australia's controversial decision to dump draft Codes of Practice in favour of guidance packages, and other legislative developments.

A safety blitz on a subset of the ACT's most dangerous industry has identified widespread non-compliance with the Territory's mirror WHS Act, and caught one employer ignoring a formal prohibition notice.

An employer that relied on an experienced contractor to ensure the safety of a structure, which collapsed and injured a number of people, is the first entity to be fined under the ACT's mirror WHS laws.

Axing recess-injury cover high on Government agenda; and WHS amendments take effect in the ACT tomorrow.