Work health and safety (WHS) is most effective when it is built on shared understanding, clear roles, and genuine collaboration. One of the key strengths of the WHS framework in Australia is the way it brings together the business, management, workers, and Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) to manage risks collectively. Understanding the role of HSRs in risk management is essential, not just for compliance, but for creating workplaces where safety systems actually wor

A recent Queensland court decision has reinforced a critical principle in work health and safety: identifying hazards and documenting control measures is not enough. Controls must be implemented, supervised, and enforced in practice. The matter arose from an incident at a worksite in Queensland involving interaction between mobile plant and pedestrian workers, a well-regarded high-risk activity. A pedestrian worker sustained serious injury when struck by operating machinery

The NSW WHS Act 2011 has recently been amended. These amendments have included an increase in the penalty rates for WHS breaches. ....

Two recent bullying cases addressed by the Fair Work Commission highlight a need to understand what is bullying and what are “reasonable management actions."

In many small businesses, directors are not only decision-makers but are also directly involved in day-to-day activities. This hands-on involvement brings unique advantages, but it also increases accountability under Work Health and Safety (WHS) law. Directors are recognised as “officers” of a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) and, as such, carry significant legal obligations. Their foremost responsibility is to ensure the business maintains an effective WHS

2025 so far has seen the courts in New South Wales handing down eight major convictions involving forklift-related incidents. These cases involved both companies and sole traders and have resulted in substantial fines and public scrutiny. A worker was fatally pinned by a 7-tonne forklift after alighting the forklift at an Electrical contracting site. The business was convicted and fined $150,000, with a project order imposed. A 43-year-old forklift operator was struck and

Trigger warning : This article talks about workplace sexual harassment and bullying. If this topic is distressing, feel free to skip the...

It is important that warehouses have correct control measures to mitigate risks from hazards that exist in the workplace. A common hazard...

The following is from our associates at Kingston Reid Lawyers in Sydney. This article is written by Special Counsel Kate Curtain who is...

An emergency evacuation plan is a set of procedures developed by a PCBU (business, company, or organisation) to help facilitate safe evacuations in case of workplace emergencies. Under Clause 43 of the New South Wales WHS Regulations 2017, employers must provide an effective response in an emergency and must also provide information, training and instruction to all workers in responding to an emergency.

From 16 September 2024, industrial manslaughter has been a formal offence under New South Wales work health and safety (WHS) legislation.

A recent case in New South Wales serves as a stark reminder of the importance of workplace health and safety (WHS) compliance and the...

A warehousing company in Victoria has just been fined $40,000 for repeatedly failing to follow its traffic management system.