The WHS offence of industrial manslaughter could include tougher penalties and capture more types of duty holders in NSW than under the national model laws, with the State Government calling for feedback on these matters.
A Bill re-establishing the NSW Industrial Court, with judicial officers with special expertise in WHS matters, will improve workplace safety standards and remove a deterrent to seeking "workplace justice", the State Government has claimed.
Australia has taken a big leap towards banning engineered stone products, with the country's WHS ministers agreeing to release a "powerful and compelling" Safe Work Australia report that recommends the ban, and warns there is no evidence that alternative measures can curb the alarming rate of silicosis in engineered stone workers.
Two major pieces of legislation have passed the NSW and Western Australian Parliaments: a WHS Bill nearly tripling fines and doubling jail terms for category-1 breaches, and a complete workers' compensation rewrite that has been a decade in the making.
The NSW Government has introduced WHS amendments tripling the maximum penalties for category-1 breaches, clarifying that officers can be prosecuted for recklessness, introducing "prohibited asbestos notices" with hefty non-compliance fines, and giving police certain enforcement powers under WHS laws.