MEDIA RELEASE: CALLS FOR EXPERT CROSS-INDUSTRY VOICE TO IMPROVE WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY LAWS
The Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) is supporting a national review of Work Health and Safety laws and is calling for a specialist cross-industry voice that ensures expert and impartial feedback is part of the national safety law landscape.
AIHS has made a submission to the Safe Work Australia best practice review of the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act and model WHS Regulations.
The review is looking into the national framework and its application across jurisdictions, with a goal of maintaining a harmonised approach for work health and safety for all Australians, no matter where they live.
AIHS CEO Julia Whitford said industry welcomed the chance to provide feedback on the first review of the laws and regulations since 2018.
“Australia’s Work Health and Safety laws are critical for every Australian worker, across sectors, industries and experience levels,” Ms Whitford said.
“How these laws are developed and applied has a direct impact on millions of Australians.
“We are concerned that the current system has allowed individual jurisdictions to respond to specific, often tragic, incidents and political pressures in an ad-hoc manner, which undermines the core principle of national consistency.
“This patchwork approach creates confusion about requirements and can lead to gaps in adherence to regulations.
“We’re calling for a robust, transparent and binding national mechanism to maintain consistency in a continuously evolving policy landscape.
“Australia must shift decisively from a reactive, consequences-focused model to a proactive, systems-based approach centred on prevention.
“Further harmonisation across jurisdictions is vital to deliver the fundamental right of Australian workers to the same safety standards regardless of where they work.”
AIHS is calling for the addition of a fourth voice from the expert and objective WHS profession, to add to the perspectives of Regulators, Worker Advocates, and Business Advocates.
“The feedback from all these groups is essential to a robust and comprehensive WHS framework,” Ms Whitford said.
“AIHS’ perspective is a unique one – representing members working across all industries in a workplace health and safety capacity.
“The independent and technical input from AIHS would ensure the widest possible collection of voices are heard, with improved safety outcomes for workers across sectors.”
The AIHS submission to the Safe Work Australia review is available here.
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
AIHS Contact: Rebecca Turnbull
Tel: (03) 8336 1995
Email: [email protected]
About the AIHS: With a 76-year history, the Australian Institute of Health & Safety is Australia’s national association for the health and safety profession, with a vision for safe and healthy people in productive workplaces and communities.