Queenslanders have their say on workplace health and safety

Public input into two Regulatory Impact Statements impacting on workplace health and safety across the state closes in a few weeks.

Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations John Mickel reminded people intending to comment on changes to the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation, which aims for consistency with national workplace safety standards, that the closing date is February 29.

Input into a RIS on rural safety issues (removing section 229 of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 1997 which exempts the rural industry from a number of workplace health and safety requirements) finishes at the end of January.

Mr Mickel said Workplace Health and Safety Queensland was reviewing parts of the Regulation that have not been reviewed in the past 10 years and are not part of a nationally agreed position on enforcement.

“Minimal changes are proposed to the current Regulation and I don’t anticipate there will be any additional burden to businesses when the new Regulation is made next year,” he said.

The parts of the Regulation that are proposed for specific public consultation are:
• Part 4 – containing provisions on applying for a certificate to be appointed as a Workplace Health and Safety Officer
• Part 7 – reporting of injuries, illnesses and dangerous events to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
• Part 12A – conducting recreational diving.

It is proposed that the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 will come into effect on 1 September 2008. Copies of the Regulatory Impact Statement are available online at www.deir.qld.gov.au or by calling 1300 369 915. Mr Mickel said that with regard to the rural exemption changes, the fact was that the rural sector had the highest fatality rate of all Queensland’s industry sectors.

“Queensland is the only state or territory which provides an exemption like this to the rural industry,” he said.

Media contact: Shannon Mackay (07) 3237 1125

December 22, 2007