The Bill that will see the NSW Industrial Relations Commission lose jurisdiction over OHS prosecutions was influenced, in part, by a push to weaken workplace health and safety laws, Commission President Justice Roger Boland claims.
NSW employers will have an absolute obligation to consult with all duty holders on OHS issues months ahead of schedule, if the State Government's "fast track" harmonisation Bill passes through Parliament, lawyers say.
Union-led prosecutions and reverse-onus OHS laws in NSW could be jettisoned within weeks, with the State Government introducing a "fast track" harmonisation Bill to Parliament today.
O'Farrell urged to lead the way on harmonisation; Queensland employer penalised after five-year-old injured at unfenced site; Western Australian employer fined for training and guarding failures; and New mine blasting guidelines and safety alerts released.
NSW set for model safety laws with likely election landslide; WorkCover SA maintains levy rate despite falling unfunded liability; SISA Awards open; and Queensland Return to Work Awards open Monday.
South Australia introduces workplace child-safety laws; ACT enacts new incident reporting requirements; SWA releases premiums update and launches model Regs survey; and WorkCover NSW releases harmonisation Q&A sheets.
WorkCover NSW and WorkSafe Victoria have published comprehensive draft guides outlining the differences between the proposed model Work Health and Safety Regulations and current state laws - including those pertaining to risk management.
