This newsletter aims to keep our valued subscribers up to date concerning Occupational Health and Safety, Quality Assurance, Environmental and WorkCover Claims Management issues.
Sincerely,
Susan Stack
Changes to health and safety legislation
Changes to health and safety legislation are scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2012 as part of the "national harmonisation of work health and safety laws". There will be several changes relevant to businesses operating in Queensland due to the Australia wide "harmonization" which include, among others:
The introduction of the term "reasonably practicable";
The reversal of the current offence prosecution onus (the prosecutor will be required to present evidence of failure to provide "reasonably practicable" risk management rather than the defendant proving that they met their obligation); and
A wider consideration of the workplace will be captured as "Persons Conducting Businesses or Undertakings" (PCBUs).
