EMPLOYMENT LAW FOR EMPLOYERS
WORK HEALTH & SAFETY
Safe Work Australia is the national policy body responsible for the development and evaluation of new model Work Health and Safety laws. These came into effect in New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory on 1 January 2012.
The legislation consists of an integrated package of a model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act, supported by model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, model Codes of Practice and a National Compliance and Enforcement Policy.
The Commonwealth, states and territories are responsible for regulating and enforcing work health and safety laws in their jurisdictions.
However, no employment legislation works unless it works at the individual workplace, and there are some things people at every management level need to take into account.
These include:
- the spirit of WHS legislation; consultation, 'general duty of care';
- 'due diligence' and what is 'reasonably practicable';
- directors', employers', managers', supervisors' and employees' responsibilities for occupational health & safety;
- the relationship between management system failures and the immediate causes of accidents;
- the hidden costs of accidents;
- fines & prosecutions for corporations and individuals.
What can we do for you?
The legal aspects of Occupational Health and Safety are one of our chief concerns.
And every management must remain acutely aware of the last two point in the list: ‘the hidden costs of accidents’; and ‘fines & prosecutions for corporations and individuals’.
You need to be familiar with the current legislation to make sure what is relevant to your industry and workplace, and to remind yourself that a simple fall over a worn carpet can be as legally troublesome as a falling girder. Contact us.
Getting employment contracts right
Avoiding underpayment claims
Policies and Procedures and Codes of Conduct
Avoiding the cost of bullying and harassment claims
Fair and Unfair Dismissal NSW
How to carry out workplace investigations
