In recognition that employers have a responsibility to protect both the physical and psychosocial health of their staff, the world’s first International Standard for protecting workers’ psychological health has been released. ISO 45003, Occupational health and safety management – Psychological health and safety at work – Guidelines for managing psychosocial risks, gives guidance on managing psychological health and safetyRead more
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The Federal Government has introduced a Bill that strengthens national laws to better prevent and respond to sexual harassment and discrimination in Australian workplaces. The Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Bill 2021 will implement the Government’s response to a number of recommendations in the Sex Discrimination Commissioner’s Respect@Work Report. It isRead more
Employers in Victoria could be fined nearly $300,000 for entering into insurance contracts against workplace health and safety fines – just one of a series of safety amendments introduced to parliament this week. The state government introduced the Occupational Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 to “expand worker rights and protections, boost employerRead more
Australia’s WHS ministers have agreed to amend the model WHS Regulations to prescribe control measures for psychological risks, and significantly increase safety penalties. However, proposed industrial manslaughter laws did not receive the required majority vote. The ministers had convened to discuss a range of important issues impacting the work health and safety of Australians, andRead more
The UK government has begun consultation that is set to create safe use rules for automated vehicles on British roads. Automated vehicle technology is set to play a major role in the transport revolution happening across the UK, helping to improve transport by making journeys safer, more flexible, and more reliable. The Safe Use RulesRead more
A number of prominent mental health advocates, unions, and academics have released a joint statement calling on WHS ministers to agree to amend the national model WHS Regulations to prescribe control measures for psychosocial risks. State, territory, and federal WHS ministers are set to meet on May 20 to discuss key reforms recommended in bothRead more
Employment laws will be amended to define workplace sexual harassment as “serious misconduct”, with the Federal Government agreeing wholly or partly to all 55 recommendations of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ Respect@Work report. Last year, Jenkins released the Respect@Work report following a landmark national inquiry into sexual harassment in the workplace by the Australian HumanRead more
A New Zealand trade union is calling on the government to provide more protection for victims of violence in the workplace amid the nation’s poor violence statistics. Prior to the pandemic, New Zealand had the highest rate of domestic violence per capita in the developed world, and the second-highest rate of workplace bullying. Now, theRead more
All Victorian workers who seek compensation for a mental health injury will receive payments to cover reasonable medical expenses while they await the outcome of their claim, under new laws introduced to Parliament. The Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Provisional Payments) Bill 2020 is designed to help workers who suffer a work-related mental health injuryRead more
Industrial manslaughter laws will have a significant impact on post-incident investigations, according to national law firm Mills Oakley. Industrial manslaughter does not, of itself, require a change to risk management systems, said Mills Oakley partner in workplace relations, employment and safety, Harold Downes, who explained that such laws are a dramatic change to potential legalRead more
