New legislation introduced into the Legislative Assembly will require more worker training and consultation on major construction sites in the ACT.
The Work Health and Safety Amendment Bill 2018 will apply to major construction projects with a contract price over $5 million.
Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Rachel Stephen-Smith introduced the Bill, which she said would require employers to establish work groups in consultation with eligible unions, facilitate the election of health and safety representatives, provide training to those representatives, establish a health and safety committee, and ensure committee members received appropriate training.
She said the changes recognised that the effectiveness of work health and safety (WHS) legislation depended on the ability to be dynamic and responsive to the experience of workers and their representatives.
“The ACT Government knows that a workplace where workers are supported by union representatives is a safer workplace and will continue to support initiatives that strengthen unions’ critical role in workplace health and safety,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“The ACT Government is committed to continual improvement to ensure the highest possible standards of workplace health and safety.”
She said workers should be given the highest level of protection against harm to their health, safety and welfare from hazards and risks arising from work.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the amendments went beyond what was provided for in the national harmonised WHS laws to raise the standard of communication and consultation on health and safety in the construction industry.
The legislation will be debated in the Assembly over the next few months and is expected to come into force on 1 January 2019.
