Browsing: WHS legislation, regulations, standards and codes (National) | Page 4

Businesses and public authorities covered by the Commonwealth jurisdiction's WHS laws could soon face the toughest WHS penalties in the country, under a major amendment Bill that will also introduce presumptive workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Federal Government has highlighted the link between low pay - along with the threat of "deactivation" - and poor safety outcomes in the gig sector, in announcing "world-leading" laws giving new powers to the Fair Work Commission.

• Employer fined $320k over reversing-vehicle breach and death;
  
• SWA launches stats site with case study, flags WHS changes; and
  
• Fair Work amendments to protect FDV victims from discrimination.

• WHS regulator targeting numerous NSW businesses;
  
• Key WHS measure for Cth parliamentary workplaces introduced; and
  
• WHS Regulations amended in WA.

• SWA outlines work-from-home duties in new resources;
  
• Model WHS amendments for silica applied in SA; and
  
• Paid FDV leave extended to many workers.

PCBUs' incident notification duties could soon be amended to capture a much broader range of incidents and require periodic reporting of matters like workplace bullying and traumatic events.

The national model WHS laws have been amended to significantly increase the maximum available fines and jail times, and to clarify the operation of the category-1 offence in a way that is likely to give regulators and prosecutors more confidence to pursue company officers for recklessness or gross negligence.

• Comcare WHS case studies reveal psychosocial failings;
  
• WHS regulations and protections covered by gold and lead probe; and
  
• ACTU re-demands stone bans after alarming US findings.

• GHS 7 reminder issued as WHS guidance updated; and
  
• Safer exposure limit demanded for common workplace carcinogen.

Safe Work Australia has published a new model WHS Code of Practice for tower cranes, which does not include an explicit ban - recently applied by the ACT - on a hazardous method for lifting loads.