The model WHS Regulations have been amended to deal with psychosocial risks. 

New provisions define psychosocial hazards. Regulations 55A-55D clarify duties in relation to psychosocial hazards, including requiring PCBUs to have regard to all relevant matters when determining the control measures to implement to manage psychosocial hazards.
 

HSR choice of training provider

Amend the model WHS Act to make it clear that for the purposes of s 72:

• the HSR is entitled to choose the course of training, and if the PCBU and HSR cannot reach agreement on time off for attendance or the reasonable costs of the training course that has been chosen by the HSR, either party may ask the WHS regulator to appoint an inspector to decide the matter.

Section 72 has been amended so that a health and safety representative (HSR) or deputy HSR is now entitled to attend an HSR course of their choice, as long as it is a course that’s approved by the regulator and that the HSR is entitled under the regulations to attend.

If the PCBU and the HSR cannot reach agreement on time off for attendance or the reasonable costs of the training course chosen by the HSR, either party may ask the regulator to appoint an inspector to decide the matter. The Worker representation and participation guide has been updated to reflect this amendment.

A WHS permit holder is no longer required to provide notice of their proposed entry and suspected contravention at least 24 hours before, but not more than 14 days before, the proposed entry and during the usual working hours at that workplace. 

A WHS permit holder must however provide notice of their proposed entry and suspected contravention as soon as practicable after entering the workplace.
 

• extend the 12-month deadline for a person to request that a WHS regulator bring a prosecution in response to a Category 1 or Category 2 offence under s 231, for a period to be determined in consultation with jurisdictions, and
• require a WHS regulator to provide updates to the person who made the request until a decision is made on whether a prosecution will be brought.

Section 231 was amended to improve WHS regulator accountability for investigations by extending the timeframes in which a person can request that a WHS regulator bring a prosecution in response to a Category 1 or 2 offence. 

If an investigation is still ongoing, the WHS regulator must provide written updates on the progress of the investigation every three months until the investigation is complete.
 

• enter into a contract of insurance or other arrangement under which the person or another person is covered for liability for a monetary penalty under the model WHS Act
• provide insurance or a grant of indemnity for liability for a monetary penalty under the model WHS Act, and
• take the benefit of such insurance or such an indemnity.

There is now a prohibition on insurance and other similar arrangements that cover the costs of a monetary fine or penalty imposed on a person under the model WHS Act. 

A person cannot enter into an insurance contract or other arrangement providing insurance or an indemnity, or take the benefit of an insurance contract, other arrangement or indemnity to cover all or part of a liability for a monetary penalty. 

The model WHS Act also makes void any insurance contract or other arrangement to the extent that it purports to cover a person for all or part of a liability for a monetary penalty under the model WHS Act.

The revised regulations include new requirements for improved record keeping and operator training for amusement devices and passenger ropeways.

Competent persons are now responsible for storage, or supervising storage, maintenance, testing, inspection and conducting a detailed annual inspection of amusement devices and passenger ropeways.

The log book must now contain a wider range of information, including any statutory notices issued, maintenance records, operator details as well as instruction, training, daily checks and operation with and without passengers. The log book, operating and maintenance manuals must be kept with the amusement device and handed over if control of the device is relinquished.

In April 2022, Safe Work Australia published a new factsheet regarding WHS duties in a contractual chain to assist workers and PCBUs to understand their duties arising under the model WHS laws and examples of how contractual relationships fit within the model WHS framework.

New arrangements for Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) and work groups in small businesses
Amend the model WHS Act to provide that, where the operations of a business or undertaking ordinarily involves 15 workers or fewer and an HSR is requested as per the requirements of the model WHS laws, the PCBU will only be required to form one work group for all workers represented by one HSR and a deputy HSR unless otherwise agreed between the workers and the PCBU.

Section 4.1 of the Worker Representation and Participation Guide has been updated including to clarify what options are available if there are still concerns that a WHS issue remains following the review of a PIN. The updated Guide was published in June 2022.

The varied model Code Work health and safety consultation, cooperation and coordination was published in March 2022.

The Worker Representation and Participation Guide has been updated to include these examples. The updated Guide was published in June 2022.
 

Update guidance on issue resolution process and participants

Update the Worker Representation and Participation Guide to include:

• practical examples of how the issue resolution process works, and
• a list of the various representatives entitled to be parties in relation to the issues under s 80 of the model WHS Act as well as ways of selecting a representative and informing the other parties of their involvement.

Section 7 of the Worker Representation and Participation Guide has been updated to clarify the range of representatives a party to an issue resolution process may seek to involve, and how they might go about this. 

Practical examples of issue resolution have been included at Appendix C to demonstrate how issue resolution might be applied across various industries and in a range of small, medium and large businesses.
 

Resolving outstanding disputes after 48 hours

Amend the model WHS Act to provide for:

a.    disputes under ss 82 and 89 of the model WHS Act to be referred to the relevant court or tribunal in a jurisdiction if the dispute remains unresolved 48 hours after an inspector is requested to assist with resolving disputes under the default or agreed procedures and with cease work disputes

b.    a PCBU, a worker, an HSR affected by the dispute or any party to the dispute to notify the court or tribunal of the unresolved issue they wish to be heard

c.    the ability for a court or tribunal to exercise any of its powers (including arbitration, conciliation or dismissing a matter) to settle the dispute, and

d.    appeal rights from decisions of the court or tribunal to apply in the normal way.
 

Review the model WHS Regulations and model Codes 

Review the model WHS Regulations and model Codes against agreed criteria on the purpose and content of the second and third tiers of the model WHS laws as they relate to the seven priority industries in the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022.

DRIS Recommendation – Safe Work Australia develop a tool to assist duty holders in priority industries to identify the regulations that may apply to their business or undertaking.

A pilot of a tool for duty holders in the agriculture industry has commenced.  

Continuously assess new industries, hazards and working arrangements 

Safe Work Australia develop criteria to continuously assess new and emerging business models, industries and hazards to identify if there is a need for legislative change, new model WHS Regulations or model Codes.

Develop a new model Code on the principles that apply to duties

Develop a model Code to provide practical guidance on how PCBUs can meet the obligations associated with the principles contained in ss 13–17 (the Principles), including examples of:

• the application of the Principles to labour hire, outsourcing, franchising, gig economy and other modern working arrangements, and
• processes for PCBUs to work co-operatively and cohesively to discharge their duties (in the context of the duty to consult, co-operate and co-ordinate with other duty holders—s 46 of the model WHS Act.

• The application of the Principles to labour hire, outsourcing, franchising, gig economy and other modern working arrangements, and
• Processes for PCBUs to work cooperatively and cohesively to discharge their duties (in the context of the duty to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders – s46 of the model WHS Act).

Review incident notification provisions

Review incident notification provisions in the model WHS Act to ensure they meet the intention outlined in the 2008 National Review, that they provide for a notification trigger for psychological injuries and that they capture relevant incidents, injuries and illnesses that are emerging from new work practices, industries and work arrangements. 

• the incident notification provisions meet the intention outlined in the 2008 national review,
• the incident notification provisions capture relevant incidents, injuries and illnesses that are emerging from new work practices, industries and work arrangements; and
• WHS regulators have appropriate visibility of work-related psychological injuries and illnesses.

Review the National Compliance and Enforcement Policy (NCEP)

Review the NCEP to include supporting decision-making frameworks relevant to the key functions and powers of the WHS regulator to promote a nationally consistent approach to compliance and enforcement. 

Implement Model Law Review recommendation.

SWA has commenced the review of the NCEP.

Increase penalty levels

• Amend the penalty levels in the model WHS Act to reflect increases in consumer price index and in the value of penalty units in participating jurisdictions since 2011, and
• Review the increased penalty levels as part of future reviews of the model WHS Act and model WHS Regulations to ensure they remain effective and appropriate.

DRIS Recommendation – Increase the penalty levels in the model WHS Act and review penalty levels as part of future reviews of the model WHS Act.

Ministers also agreed to further consider significant increases to penalties under the model WHS laws in relation to Category 1 offences.

The review of penalty levels is underway.
 

Consistent approach to sentencing

Safe Work Australia work with relevant experts to develop sentencing guidelines to achieve the policy intention of Recommendation 68 of the 2008 National Review. As part of this process, any unintended consequences due to the interaction of local jurisdictional criminal procedure and sentencing legislation should also be considered. 

DRIS Recommendation – Safe Work Australia, working with relevant experts, will undertake a review into the feasibility of developing national WHS sentencing guidelines.

A review into the feasibility of sentencing guidelines is underway.

Clarify the risk management process in the model WHS Act

Amend the model WHS Act to clarify the risk management process by including a hierarchy of controls (consistent with regulation 36) and making any corresponding amendments necessary to the model WHS Regulations.

29a: Add a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) template to the WHS Regulations

Amend the model WHS Regulations to prescribe a SWMS template. 

29b: Develop an intuitive, interactive tool to support the completion of fit-for-purpose SWMSs

Safe Work Australia develop an intuitive, interactive tool to assist in the effective and efficient completion of fit-for-purpose SWMSs.

DRIS Recommendation – Implement the Model Law Review recommendation 29b – develop an intuitive, interactive tool to support the completion of fit-for-purpose SWMSs.

The interactive tool is under development.
 

Photographic ID on White Cards

Amend the model WHS Regulations to require photographic ID on White Cards consistent with high-risk work licences.

DRIS Recommendation – Additional work to be undertaken to gain a greater understanding of the nature and scope of the problems identified in the Model Law Review and determine whether the recommendation is the most appropriate mechanism to treat them.

The Agency has commenced consultation with key stakeholders to understand the nature and scope of the problems and potential solutions.

31a: Consider removing references to Standards in model WHS Regulations

Review the references to Standards in the model WHS laws with a view to their removal and replacement with the relevant obligations prescribed within the model WHS Regulations. 

DRIS Recommendation – Implement both recommendation 31a and recommendation 31b of the Model Law Review.

SWA has reviewed all references to Standards in the model WHS laws. A number of those Standards have been superseded and further work is progressing on whether the existing reference should be amended to refer to the new Standard.

Review MHF Regulations

Review the model WHS Regulations dealing with MHF, with a focus on administrative or technical amendments to ensure they meet the intended policy objective.

Implement the Model Law Review recommendation. 

SWA has already begun preliminary work on this recommendation as agreed by WHS Ministers.

Review crane licence classes

Review the high-risk work licence classes for cranes to ensure they remain relevant to contemporary work practices and equipment.

Implement the Model Law Review recommendation. 

SWA has convened a crane issues working group and commenced consultation on potential improvements to crane licensing.

34a: Improving the quality of asbestos registers

Amend the model WHS Regulations to require that asbestos registers are created by a competent person and update the model Codes to provide more information on the development of asbestos registers. 

34b: Competent persons in relation to asbestos

Review existing requirements for competent persons, including consideration of amendments to the model WHS Regulations to provide specific competencies for asbestos-related tasks or requirements for further guidance on the skills and experience required for all asbestos-related tasks. 

DRIS Recommendation – SWA to publish additional guidance to improve the quality of asbestos registers and implement Model Law Review recommendation 34b. 

Additional guidance on asbestos registers has been prepared by SWA and is being consulted on.
 

Workplace entry of union officials when providing assistance to an HSR

Safe Work Australia work with relevant agencies to consider how to achieve the policy intention that a union official accessing a workplace to provide assistance to an HSR is not required to hold an entry permit under the Fair Work Act or another industrial law, taking into account the interaction between Commonwealth, state and territory laws.

Clarify court powers for cases of discriminatory or coercive conduct

Amend the model WHS Act to make it clear that courts have the power to issue declaratory orders in proceedings for discriminatory or coercive conduct.

23b: Industrial manslaughter

Amend the model WHS Act to provide for a new offence of industrial manslaughter. The offence should provide for gross negligence causing death and include the following:

• The offence can be committed by a PCBU and an officer as defined under s 4 of the model WHS Act.
• The conduct engaged in on behalf of a body corporate is taken to be conduct engaged in by the body corporate.
• A body corporate’s conduct includes the conduct of the body corporate when viewed as a whole by aggregating the conduct of its employees, agents or officers.
• The offence covers the death of an individual to whom a duty is owed.
• Safe Work Australia should work with legal experts to draft the offence and include consideration of recommendations to increase penalty levels Recommendation 22) and develop sentencing guidelines (Recommendation 25).