SafeWork NSW has issued penalty notices to online food delivery platform Fantuan for not complying with work health and safety (WHS) regulations in the gig economy.
They found that Fantuan hadn't provided proper training to over 1,000 food delivery riders on hazard and fatigue management, road safety, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Fantuan was issued four penalty notices totaling $13,600, and they received improvement notices as well. SafeWork warns that failing to comply with future improvement notices could result in fines of up to $332,611 for the company.
This development aligns with the introduction of the NSW Work Health and Safety Amendment Bill 2023, which aims to significantly increase WHS penalties and grants police powers to enforce WHS compliance in the gig economy, such as providing PPE and induction training for delivery riders.
SafeWork inspectors are also meeting with other food delivery platforms, and more fines and penalties are expected for platforms that fail to meet their WHS duties. The focus is on ensuring proper training and systems for rider safety in the gig economy.