A union organiser did "as much as he could" to notify an employer of his upcoming site visit to investigate asbestos concerns, a commission has found in rejecting the employer's bid to have his WHS entry permit revoked.
The national model WHS laws are being amended to clarify the reach of provisional improvement notices (PINs), increase penalties for WHS entry breaches and reduce "unnecessary regulatory burden".
A Bill restoring HSR and entry powers passed Queensland Parliament last night, but a clause imposing additional injury-notification requirements on employers was defeated.
Another jurisdiction has proposed amending its mirror WHS Act to reduce union-entry and HSR powers, despite acknowledging that there is "little if any" evidence of these powers being abused.
Allowing HSRs to step away from their day-to-day work and perform safety duties only, for up to eight hours a month, has been fundamental to an employer's award-winning safety culture, its OHS manager says.
New Zealand's plan to soften its draft Australian-style workplace safety provisions, on officer duties and other areas, has been slammed by unions and Australian lawyer Michael Tooma, who says the proposed changes create a "two-class" OHS system and defy the original intention of the reforms.
Queensland has overhauled its safety and workers' comp agencies for the second time in a year, and committed to implementing its proposed WHS amendments within the next 12 months.
