- First Aid Equipment
- Personal Protection
- Fall Arrest Equipment
- Ladders & Steps
- Dangerous Goods Storage
- Electrical Equipment Inspection Tags
- Safety Signs & Labels
- Spill Response Kits
New National Work Health and Safety Legislation
Effective 1st January 2012, State and Territory, along with the Commonwealth Government have agreed to harmonise their work health and safety laws. This is also extended to relevant Codes and Practice and Regulations to ensure that legislative inclusions are comparable within each jurisdiction (State and Territory).
The importance of OH&S Harmonisation has long been recognised as a critical reform for Australian workplace safety laws. A national approach to Workplace Health & Safety provides all working Australians with the same level of protection regardless of locality.
In June 2011, Safe Work Australia published a revised version of the model Work Health and Safety Act. In principle (only), the majority of Workplace Relations Ministers endorsed the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations and the first stage model Codes of Practice, which support the model WHS Act agreed by Ministers in December 2009 (Source: safeworkaustralia.gov.au)
Keeping you up to date with the latest information on National OHS Harmonisation
As part of Seton’s commitment to helping Australian businesses prepare for the new Work Health and Safety Legislation, we will collect the latest information and news articles related to National OHS Harmonisation and post them here to help keep you up to date.
Click on the below post for more details:
Safety in the Workplace PDF - 20/04/12
An outline of the Roles & Responsibilities that are included in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
Queensland landslide could bring OH&S harmonisation rethink - 30/03/12
The Council of Small Business of Australia says the Liberal National Party’s landslide Queensland election win provides an opportunity to rethink the harmonised occupational health and safety laws - set to overturn OH&S laws passed by the Bligh government. Smart Company
NT: Legislative Changes for Mining Industry - 20/03/12
NT WorkSafe has issued a bulletin regarding changes in the legislative framework for mining operations. Since 1 March 2012, the WHS Act has applied to mining operations in the Northern Territory, after commencement was initially deferred from 1 January 2012. Safety Culture
Incident Notification Changes - 18/2/12
One major area of Incident Notification Change concerns reporting dangerous occurrences – in particular, collapse, overturn, failure or malfunction of “authorised" plant. Safety Culture
Workplace 'harmony' brings division - 13/2/12
During the debate about the Bill last year, a number of key issues emerged. These included the breadth of responsibility/liability created, the amount of regulation, rights of entry and the right to silence. Adelaide Now
Links to older articles and posts:
○ Baillieu baulks on work safety reforms - 3/2/12
○ OHS laws a hammer blow to small business - 23/1/12
○ National worker health reforms are not safe yet - 19/1/12
○ OHS reforms are commonsense: Gillard - 18/1/12
○ Volunteer organisations warn of OHS burden - 18/1/12
○ WA hits back at federal threat to withhold money - 13/1/12
○ No federal cash for reform rejectors - 13/1/12
○ ACTU clears up myths on safety law - 3/1/12
○ Workers face a new era of laws - 2/1/12
○ New Work Health and Safety Laws - 2/1/12
○ Campaign informs workers of new OHS rights - 2/1/12
○ Delay in safety laws defended - 31/12/11
○ Consistent OHS laws promise 'better safety' - 30/12/11
○ Complacency Will Lead to Hot Water - 19/12/11
○ Businesses must heed new Work Health and Safety laws - 15/12/11
○ End of Year harmonisation update: What to expect in 2012 - 14/12/11
○ New Work Health And Safety Laws: Will Your Business Comply? - 8/12/11
○ Tasmania Joins Other Parliaments In OHS Harmonisation Delay - 2/12/11
○ South Australia's OHS harmonisation roll out stalls in Upper House - 30/11/11
○ The new OHS regime shock - 29/11/11
○ Businesses set to be stung by OHS “grace period" - 28/11/11
○ Delayed start to model regulations - 24/11/11
○ Positive impact from new health & safety laws: study - 24/11/11
○ IR lawyers set to have a hectic new year - 23/11/11
○ WA Refusing To Accept National OHS Harmonisation Laws - 16/11/11
○ OHS harmonisation laws making more work for employers - 14/11/11
○ Employers welcome transition arrangements for OH&S harmonisation - 11/11/11
○ Unions accuses WA Government of putting its worker's in a second rate safety state - 10/11/11
○ Companies granted 12-month delay on harmonised OH&S laws - 10/11/11
○ Businesses can delay OHS laws - 10/11/11
○ New OHS laws present opportunity - 8/11/11
○ What will harmonisation look like come 1 Jan 2012? - 2/11/11
○ Executive officers: know your responsibilities under the new harmonised WHS laws - 25/10/11
○ SMEs urged to prepare for harmonised OH&S laws - 25/10/11
○ WA welcomes NSW pulling out of national OH&S harmonisation - 21/10/11
○ NSW taking the next step to reform OHS laws - 20/10/11
○ Safety Matters - OHS Harmonisation - 20/10/11
○ True OHS harmonisation to be delayed - 11/10/11
○ Update on OHS harmonisation - Where are we at? - 6/10/11
○ Second state wants work safety reforms put on hold - 29/9/11
○ Housing industry bodies throw weight behind deferral of harmonised OH&S laws - 13/9/11
Additional Harmonisation Resources
○ Safe Work Australia - Developing the new National Work Health & Safety Laws
○ National Safety Council of Australia - Provides consulting, auditing & safety training services
○ WorkCover NSW - Responsible for administering Work Health & Safety in NSW
○ Worksafe Victoria - Responsible for administering Work Health & Safety in VIC
○ Workplace Health and Safety Queensland - Responsible for administering Work Health & Safety in QLD
○ WorkCover WA - Responsible for administering Work Health & Safety in WA
○ SafeWork SA - Responsible for administering Work Health & Safety in SA
○ WorkSafe ACT - Responsible for administering Work Health & Safety in the ACT
○ NT WorkSafe - Responsible for administering Work Health & Safety in the NT
○ WorkCover Tasmania - Responsible for administering Work Health & Safety in TAS
