BOLAND REVIEW AMENDMENTS to WHS LAWS
Amendments implementing several recommendations from the 2018 Boland Review have been published, and affect amongst other things:
- regulations dealing with psychosocial risks
- work group provisions
- HSR training
- removal of a 24-hour notice period for entry permit holders
- enable inspectors to require production of documents and answers to questions within 30 days
- include gross negligence as a fault element in the Category 1 offence
- improve regulator accountability for investigation progress
- prohibit insurance for WHS penalties
- improve record keeping and operator training for amusement devices and passenger ropeways
- compliance with Standards not mandatory unless specified
For the Model WHS Bill and Regulations to become law it must be adopted/implemented by the relevant jurisdiction. As Victoria is not signed up to the harmonized laws, this will not directly affect our jurisdiction.
See Implementation of the WHS ministers' agreed response to the Review of the Model WHS Laws for more detail
Source: Safe Work Australia