New national OHS laws ready for release
28 September, 2009Safe Work Australia Council has recommended the release of a suite of OHS documents for a public comment to further the development of the model OHS Act.
Comcare supports model OHS legislation
28 September, 2009Comcare has voiced its support for the new draft model OHS legislation, following Safe Work Australia's announcement of the release of the draft legislation for public comment.
New national OHS laws open for comment
28 September, 2009Draft documents for the new model OHS legislation have been released for public comment on 28 September.
Comments sought on workplace access for OHS purposes
20 August, 2009A paper prepared by the Tasmanian Minister for Workplace Relations invites comment on proposed amendments to the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 to enable access for occupational health and safety (OHS) purposes.
‘Right of entry’ under NSW OHS law clarified in court
03 July, 2009The rights of union officials to enter sites under NSW OHS legislative criteria was clarified recently in the Federal Court.
Severity of injury only one factor when determining penalty
02 July, 2009A recent court case in the Industrial Court of Queensland clarifed the factors that determine the extent of fines imposed.
Charges laid over fatal failure of swing stage scaffold on Gold Coast
05 June, 2009Three companies have been charged over the deaths of two construction workers at a Gold Coast high-rise construction site last year.
Conviction and fine for not ensuring sub-contractor safety
02 June, 2009Failing to ensure the safety needs of contractors were addressed has cost a major poultry processor a conviction for OHS law breaches and $100,000.
WA government concerned over national OHS legislation
28 May, 2009The Western Australian government has raised a number of concerns over the proposed national model OHS legislation at the recent WRMC meeting.
Safety responsibilities cannot be outsourced
18 May, 2009Companies employing subcontractors should be conscious of their responsibilities to provide a safe environment for all people working on their behalf, not just employees, and that safe work practices are being carried out by all of them.
Legal consequences of safety failings
09 April, 2009During the month of April, several major workplace health and safety cases will be before Victorian courts as WorkSafe ramps up its campaign to reduce preventable deaths and injuries.
Workplace safety threatened by bullying
20 March, 2009Safety in the workplace is under threat as bullying increases, warns the unions.
Client legal privilege issues in managing and investigating safety incidents — Part 3
12 December, 2008 by Katherine Morris*We conclude the three-part series by looking at how privilege can be jeopardised by the actions of external lawyers and organisations involved in the incident. It is vital that procedures are put in place within an organisation to ensure that privilege is maintained and not expressly or impliedly waived.
Crucial High Court decision on OHS appeal
18 November, 2008After a lengthy appeals process, a High Court decision has cleared the way for two significant safety prosecutions in South Australia to proceed.
Client legal privilege issues in managing and investigating safety incidents — Part 2
14 November, 2008 by Katherine Morris*In part 2, we look at issues concerning legal advice in relation to a safety incident, and look at ways to control internal investigations and documentation to maintain legal privilege.
