Independent review of WHS in ACT

It has been announced that an independent review will evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of the ACT Government’s current work health and safety compliance and enforcement strategies to ensure they are delivering for Canberra’s workers.

The review follows media reports last year that stated Canberra was “the most dangerous place for construction workers”. According to a performance report released by Safe Work Australia in October; during 2015–16, there were 23.8 claims in the ACT for serious injury and disease per 1000 construction workers, compared to the national average of 16 claims.

Dr Claire Noone of Nous Group will lead the WHS oversight review, and will report to Ministers in September 2018. Noone brings significant expertise to this work, having recently chaired Victoria’s Independent Review of Worksafe Compliance and Enforcement.

The review will specifically consider:

• the approach to safety compliance and enforcement detailed in WorkSafe ACT’s compliance framework;
• the appropriateness and effectiveness of WorkSafe ACT’s governance structure, including the roles, legislative responsibilities and functions of the Work Safety Commissioner, the regulator and relevant Ministers;
• the appropriateness and effectiveness of WorkSafe ACT’s organisational structure, including consideration of its independence and operational effectiveness in its current status as a business unit within Access Canberra;
• the ACT’s collection, use and analysis of data and the impact and effectiveness of information sharing within Access Canberra and across government to drive work safety compliance and enforcement activities.
   

“We know there is more to do to ensure that all workers in the ACT are in safe and healthy workplaces, and that the government has an important role to play alongside employers, workers and unions,” said ACT Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations Rachel Stephen-Smith.

“This will be the first broad review of the ACT’s work health and safety compliance and enforcement arrangements since the adoption of national model work health and safety legislation in 2011.

“It will take account of existing sector-specific work and other analysis, including the 2012 Getting Home Safely review of construction industry safety, RMIT University’s 2017 stocktake of the industry’s health and safety culture, and subsequent work by the Work Safety Council to develop a construction industry safety strategy.”

ACT Minister for Regulatory Services Gordon Ramsay added: “Stakeholder input will be critical to understanding the experiences of all players in the current system. We encourage workers, businesses, unions and employer representatives to engage in the review process.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Lars Nilsson