Browsing: WHS Harmonisation (NT)

Australia's WHS ministers have agreed to amend the model WHS Regulations to prescribe control measures for psychological risks, and significantly increase safety penalties, but proposed industrial manslaughter laws were voted down at their meeting yesterday.

The model WHS laws could be amended to increase the focus on psychological health, with the public consultation process for the ongoing review of the laws identifying widespread concerns over this issue and the absence of a "notification trigger" for psychological injuries.

The High Court will determine whether the harmonised WHS laws extend to all workplaces and operate in conjunction with other legislation that previously "covered the field", after granting a regulator special leave to appeal against the quashing of fatality-related charges.

Safe Work Australia has launched the public consultation process for the review of the model WHS laws, posing 37 questions for discussion and pointing to the reasons why industrial manslaughter provisions weren't included in the Act.

• Safety overhaul reduces "fear of prosecution" in SA;
  
• WHS amendments commence in the NT today; and
  
• NZ's new work safety Act takes effect.

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.

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.

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 new paper from the Northern Territory has questioned whether the costs of the model WHS legislation's provisions on principal contractors and audiometric testing outweigh the benefits.